A certain scientific Kugelblitz
by Panzer4life
Summary: Uiharu is a Level 1 esper who despite all her efforts can't ascend to greatness. But that changes when a certain character enters her life, and trains her to surpass all others.
1. Chapter 1: Prologue Arc

Foreword: I must say, I enjoy 'Toaru Majutsu no Index', and thus I am going to write my first fan-fiction ever for the series. With that said, a few warnings;

1: This is my first fan-fic, so please, no flaming. Constructive critisms is fine but not flaming.

2: I don't own Toaru Majutsu no Index, nor any of its characters.

3:There is no timely schedule for chapter releases, as my mood does affect my writing.

With this said, enjoy!

Chapter One: Rough Day

The day that Uiharu dreaded, Power Scan day. She knew what the result was going to be, as it was the same every time. She however looked down at her paper. It was a simple grade below the evaluation report; Level 1.

"Argh, not again," she muttered, sighing afterwards. She looked at the other marks. She was horrifically average in terms of grades, she can only maintain the temperature of objects, and she can't do anything but confirm she is an esper.

She saw her friend Saten approaching her. Saten had her black hair waving casually in the air, and she had a smile on her face.

"So Uiharu, anything new?" Saten asked, trying to crane her head to see Uiharu's evaluation report. Uiharu shook her head.

"No, still a Level 1, my ability hasn't improved." Uiharu looked at Saten, and instead of hiding her report, it was clearly in her hand. Before she could ask, Saten explain her joy.

"Guess what?! I am now Level 1!" Saten twirled in place, still smiling as though she won the lottery. Uiharu was happy for her friend, but still sadden by the fact that she was unable to move up. Saten however grabbed her arm.

"Lets see how Misaka and Shirai are doing!" Saten was leading Uiharu to the bus stop where they would get a ride to Tokiwadi Middle School.

"Ahh, that's good to hear!" said Misaka. Misaka was a Level 5 esper, and was known as 'Railgun'. But for her power, she was rather nice and even childish. "So what's your ability?" she asked. Saten found a leaf, and demonstated by having it do cartwheels in the air.

"It's called Aero Hand, buts it's only Level One, so leaves are about the only thing I can move," noted Saten. "But at least now I know I can get it higher, since Kongou is also an Aero Hand Esper!"

Kuroko looked miffed upon hearing this. The Pink hair teleporter had a long standing rivalry with Kongou, and hearing Saten looking up to her only added to this. She however turned to Uiharu.

"What about you Uiharu?' asked Kuroko. "Have you leveled up any?" Uiharu was hoping to let Saten have the spotlight, but fate had to be cruel.

"No, I am still only Level 1. Nothing I seem to do improves my Level or ability." The others tried not to say anything, as they didn't want to upset her. Uiharu saw their faces and knew this, so she changed subject.

"So anything new Misaka?" Uiharu asked, hoping to hear some good news. Misaka looked at her phone.

"Not really. Oh, we are supposed to be meeting a transfer student tomorrow. All I know is that she is at least Level 3, as per Tokiwadi's restriction on Espers who can come in." Uiharu sighed. The constant talk about Espers wasn't what she had in mind. But Kuroko intervened.

"Come on Uiharu, we are getting called to report to headquarters." Uiharu quickly got her badge on her arm, and both her and Kuroko teleported to the 177 district branch of Judgement.

Upon entering the headquarters, Uiharu noted a bunch of people, rushing around, looking more stressed then ever. Kuroko went up to Konori Mii, the branch's leading officer.

"What's the emergency?" asked Kuroko, who also noted the influx of foot traffic. Konori sighed. She appeared to be tired.

"Well, we are having a bit of a crisis as a number of Skill-Out gangs are rioting in the slums," she handed Kuroko and Uiharu a map. "these locations are seeing the most activity, and Anti-Skill are trying to ensure that no Espers tries to intervene. Otherwise we could see a nasty conflict. I need you and Uiharu to head to District 7, the site of the most activity." Kuroko acknowledged the order. Uiharu however was panicking, as she didn't fare well in conflict. But an order was an order, and so both her and Kuroko once again teleported.

"Hey, get those idiots!" yelled a member of Skill Out. They began to throw rocks at Uiharu, who was struggling not to get hit. Kuroko meanwhile was taking the time to pin down several members of the gang. However, Uiharu notice some members running to the roof tops, carrying what looked like Molotov Cocktails.

"Kuroko, on top!" she shouted. But Kuroko was too busy on the ground, as more and more Skill-Out members were arriving. Kuroko looked to Uiharu.

"Stop them yourself! I will try and keep these guys from interfering you!" she shouted. Uiharu then bolted to the door, and began using the stairs to catch up to the members with Molotov Cocktails. She finally reached to roof, only to be hit in the gut by a base ball bat. She saw a man standing over her, with a simple black leather jacket on.

"Hey, got a punk from Judgment here!" he shouted to his comrades. The other four men turned.

"Aww, she got flowers on her head. She a bit cute, shame we have to beat her up." Said one of the men. The one behind him smirked.

"Well, we can ransom her; maybe get something from those assholes from Judgment and Anti-Skill." The group laughed in unison, and Uiharu was left curled up, in pain. She then saw someone coming up the stairs. It was a girl, about the same age as Misaka, but with crimson red hair and blue eyes. She came up to the roof.

"Just what do you men think you are doing?" the girl asked. The men chuckled.

"Just who do you think you are? A self-righteous esper, and a punk from Judgment?" asked the man in leather. He came at her with the bat raised. "Don't think you are better than us!" However, before he made contact, he collapsed, shrieking in pain.

"My ears! What have you done you BITCH!?" The Other men readied their molotovs, but when they lit them, the bottles exploded, and engulfed them in flame. Uiharu could see the girl smile, and it sent chills down her spine. But the girl knelt down.

"You alright?" she asked. Uiharu tried to nod, but her in reality it was painful for her. The girl helped her up. "It's ok, rest up, those punks aren't going anywhere." Uiharu looked at the other members, and saw that despite being engulfed in flames, they were now fine, no longer on fire. The girl saw the look of confusion on Uiharu's face.

"What, you think I let them burn to death? Naw, I just let them burn a little to make them not to eager to hurt a girl again." She began to carry Uiharu down the stairs. At the bottom of the stairs was Kuroko, along with other members of Judgement and Anti-Skill.

"Uiharu, are you okay?" asked Kuroko. She turned to the girl. "Thanks for helping my friend, but a civilian shouldn't get themselves involved in Judgment business." The girl shrugged.

"Meh, I was in the area and heard the commotion, and so I came. Not my fault you guys entered the hornet's nest." Kuroko was visibly annoyed with the response, but she was glad to see Uiharu was fine.

However, Uiharu was confused. Who was this girl, what did she do to take them all out, and why was she in the area? But she was tired, hurt, and didn't have enough energy to stay awake, so she fell asleep in the medical van, hoping that tomorrow would be much better.


	2. Chapter 2

**I thank anyone who has taken the time to read my story, please feel free to review the work or PM me for suggestions. I have no release schedule for updating the story with chapters, so they will come out when I get a good idea and flow for a chapter. Again, if you have any suggestions or advice, please PM me or leave a review.**

**As before, I don't own Index nor any of its characters.**

Chapter 2: A New friend

"Uiharu, are you ok?" Uiharu opened her eyes. She saw Saten, Misaka, and Kuroko sitting around her hospital bed. She got herself seated upright, clearing her eyes.

"How long was I out?" she asked, feeling groggy. Misaka looked at her phone.

"About 4 hours. It's a bit late for you to get back to your dorm, so the hospital will be taking care of you tonight. But we wanted to stay to see you when you woke up." Uiharu felt relieved, but also annoyed that she forced her friends to take care of her due to her inability to protect herself.

"Well, ok. You guys probably should head back," noted Uiharu. "I don't want you guys getting in trouble for staying past curfew due to me." The others nodded, and one by one, they left. Uiharu felt alone, and troubled. She couldn't get over herself for being so easily knocked out.

"Why can't I protect even myself?!" she cried. "I am pathetic, all I can do is sit behind a desk guiding the others, while they are busy fighting the bad guys!" She began to cry, tears rolling down her soft cheeks when there was a knock on her door. She wiped her eyes.

"Come in." she said meekly. Soon, she got a look at the person. It was a girl, with crimson red hair, slightly taller than her, and with blue eyes. Uiharu gasped.

"You are the girl from earlier!" stated Uiharu. She calmed herself down. "I should be thanking you for helping me out earlier." She bowed, but the girl chuckled.

"No need to thank me, it was my pleasure. It's rare that I can use my ability to help someone in need out." The girl brushed her hair to the side. "By the way, my name is Aki." She thrust her hand out to shake Uiharu's. Uiharu nodded.

"Nice to meet you Aki. My name is Uiharu Kazari. So what is your ability?" Aki frowned, but not at the question. Uiharu looked out the window and saw it begun to rain.

"Before I answer you question, what is your ability?" asked Aki. "It looked like those guys earlier didn't give you a chance to defend yourself." Uiharu nodded.

"Yeah. My ability is thermal hand, and I am only Level 1." Aki chuckled, to Uiharu's amazement. "What are you finding funny?"

"Nothing Uiharu, it's just thermal hand is so underwhelming of a name. And it isn't even correct if you ask me." Uiharu looked at her.

"How so, all I can do is maintain the temperature of objects." Aki shook her head.

"You and I are similar, as I also have what Academy City's elite call Thermal Hands." Uiharu was dumbfounded. How was Aki able to take the Skill-Out gang with Thermal Hand? It didn't seem possible. But Aki saw that Uiharu wasn't following.

"I can explain. Thermal Hand is just the Level 1 name for what I call 'Wavelength Modification'." Uiharu listened, interested to learn more. "Since the temperature of objects can be determined by its wavelength, a person can modify the wavelength of the object. But at Level 1, it is mistaken to be a minor ability and thus it is written off." Aki sat down, as she knew it would take a while to explain.

"For instance, if you had a match in your hand, you could maintain the match's heat, but if you get more powerful, you can adjust it, even from a considerable distance. Also, modifying wavelength isn't limited to heat. You can modify sound waves, by adjusting the frequency of the sound." Uiharu interrupted.

"But how were you able to take down those men? I didn't hear anything, and those men with the Molotov Cocktails had their bottles shatter." Aki laughed.

"Observant you are. But let's think. For the sound, I took noise that was too low for humans to hear and increased the pitch of it in the first guy's ear, thus acting like a siren. For the bottles shattering, you can shatter bottles with sound. It also helped that they had a loose liquid in those bottles, it only served to amplify what I was doing." Uiharu was amazed. Here was someone with her ability, and able to not only protect herself, but able to be aggressive when needed.

"Can you help me then?" asked Uiharu. "I am tired of being Level 1, and I can't help my friends out." Aki looked at her, with eyes like that of a caring mother.

"Sure, but note that when you get to Level 4, all I can do I give advice." Uiharu was confused.

"Wait, what level are you Aki?" Aki shrugged.

"I was Level 4, but after an accident, I am now a Level 3." Uiharu saw Aki's hand go to her rib cage. Aki noticed this.

"I got into a fight with a powerful esper while doing research on how to become Level 5. He broke a couple of my ribs, and I also lost some of my calculation ability. As a result, I am fearful of trying to push my limits, for if I miscalculate, I could do more damage to myself." Uiharu was shocked, that Aki was open about this.

"So Aki, where do you go to school?' asked Uiharu, trying to change subject for Aki. Apparently, Aki caught on to this.

"Well, I begin at Tokiwadai Middle School tomorrow." Uiharu managed to keep her cool. _So she is the new student that Misaka meant._ "But I was privately schooled by my family." Uiharu then realized she didn't mention her family name.

"So what is your family name?" asked Uiharu, but upon uttering this question, she knew it was a personal question base on the shocked looked of Aki.

"I rather not talk about my family. They are scientist, the whole lot of them, and they don't deserve the respect they are given most of the time. Also it brings up some memories that I have tried to keep down." Uiharu nodded, thinking of the time that Misaka was acting strange. She didn't want to bring up terrible memories for Aki if she could avoid it. Aki looked at the time on the clock.

"Well, it is getting late; I got to go to my dorm. How about we hangout tomorrow, that way I can help with you Leveling up?" Uiharu nodded.

"Hm! Sure thing. See you tomorrow!" and with that Aki left, leaving Uiharu feeling better. _Someone is going to help me with my ability! _With that heartwarming though, Uiharu fell asleep, looking forward to tomorrow.

/\\\

Uiharu was on her way her meeting Aki. She remembered her talk with her.

"_Remember, meet me at the park, I have something planned to help with you." _

"_Alright then, see you at the park!"_

When she arrived at the park, she saw Aki sitting on a bench with a lighter, a thermostat, and a notebook. Uiharu waved at Aki.

"Hi Aki. Um, what's with the stuff?" asked Uiharu, having never seen such an unusual display of objects. Aki laughed.

"This is to help me gauge how best to train you," stated Aki. "After all, it is hard to help you train if I don't know what you can do." She handed Uiharu the lighter.

"Now Uiharu, I want you to see how high you can maintain the temperature of an object." Uiharu was hesitant, as after all it was an open flame. But Aki smiled, giving Uiharu the confidence she needed. She took the lighter in her hand, and let the flame kiss her skin. At first, she was able to maintain the heat, but after a minute, the heat began to cause a bit of pain for Uiharu. She dropped the lighter in pain.

But this didn't bother Aki. In fact, she laughed.

"Pretty good Uiharu. Much better than me when I was level 1!" noted Aki. "I could only last 30 seconds due to my skin being so soft! Alright, now take this thermostat." She handed Uiharu, and Uiharu grabbed ahold of it. She noted that it was cold, but not painfully so. But she looked at Aki, who was restraining the urge to laugh.

"what is funny Aki?" asked Uiharu. Aki then broke down laughing.

"Inside that thermostat is liquid Nitrogen!" Uiharu dropped the thermos, all the while Aki was rolling on the ground.

"That isn't funny!" remarked Uiharu. "I could've gotten frostbite or even worse!" But Aki kept smiling.

"Oh I know I shouldn't have, but if you don't push your limits, how are you going to improve. Besides, I figured that you were having an issue with blocking your fears out." Uiharu looked up.

"What do you mean?" she asked. Aki emptied the thermos.

"Fear is the number one reason most espers don't get past Level 1. They see something, think they can't deal with it, and give up before even trying." She wrote down some notes. "But also, the second most common reason for failing to rise in Level is a lack of understanding one's ability. This causes more to struggle needlessly. Thus, I intend to have you level up to a similar program I used to get to Level 4, and hopefully you can surpass me." Uiharu was amazed, as Aki made the idea of leveling up simple and not convoluted. But she was confused as to why Aki would want Uiharu to surpass her.

"Now Uiharu, I want to see you stamina, and also I want to test you calculation ability." Said Aki. Uiharu sighed, now realizing that Aki was going to drill her unlike her teacher.

/\\\

"Argh, I am so tired," sighed Uiharu. It was now late in the afternoon, with the sun beating down on her neck. But Aki was calm as ever. She was reviewing Uiharu's performance, and from her face it looked like Uiharu would have a lot of training to do.

"Alright Uiharu," began Aki. "I see where you need to improve. You need to focus a bit in your calculation ability, a proverbial shit-ton in your stamina, and you need to better understand the models behind your ability." Uiharu sighed again.

"Am I screwed?" she asked Aki. Aki shook her head.

"Nah, you are at least doing better than I was when I began to train. But also, you have me to help you understand how to understand your ability." She gave Uiharu a smile. "Just think of this. By the time you get the next System Scan, you should be Level Two with me as your trainer." She was about to leave when she remembered something.

"Oh Uiharu, Tokiwadai is about to start a new training program, with the Level 4 esper training Levels 1 and 2. You want to officially be my trainee?" Uiharu's eyes shined with joy.

"Yes! Please, I need the training!" Uiharu remembered how yesterday Aki said she was Level 3. "Are you going to be able to train me, with you being Level 3 and no longer Level 4?" Aki nodded, though Uiharu saw Aki frown a little.

"Yeah, Tokiwadai is going to allow me to train you, despite having fallen down to Level 3, due to having been a Level 4." But she cheered up, seeing how Uiharu was caring for her. "Don't worry; everything is going to be alright." Aki turned and left.

/\\\

Uiharu arrived at her dorm, and put down her bag on her bed. She was looking forward to being Aki's guidance, but she wasn't confident about being able to Level up. She remembered how it took Misaka, now a Level 5 electromaster, to get from being a Level 1. It took her years to master her ability, so how was Uiharu going to Level up with such a limited idea of her power?

_Wavelength Modification? How did Aki jump to that conclusion when she was training? Wasn't Thermal Hand a fairly useless ability, according to Aki? So who taught Aki how to modify wavelengths? _

Then Uiharu had an epiphany; what the heck constituted being able to modify wavelengths? She groaned, knowing that she needed to get sleep for tomorrow's training with Aki. She looked at the clock, and it read 10 pm.

"Now is probably time for me to get some sleep," muttered Uiharu. She got into her night clothes, and turned off the light. However, she couldn't rest for any length of time, due to be unable to wrap her head around Aki's apperant mastery of wavelength modification. She looked at her hand, seeing how they were only to keep things at their current temperature. She clenched her fist, annoyed that she was too weak now to be of any use to her friends in the field. She rolled over, with one final thought before forcing herself to sleep.

_I will not falter, I shall rise up!_


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Training and Stalking

Uiharu woke up, feeling more tired than when she went to sleep. Her mind was trying to grasp everything that Aki mentioned about Wavelength Modification. She tried to keep it simple, but every time Uiharu tried to apply it in her mind, it didn't work. She didn't understand the correlation between wavelengths and her Thermal Hands.

Admitting defeat for now, Uiharu got up and grabbed a glass with water. She figured that it be better if she simply listen to Aki's advice later than trying to solve it on her own for now. She thought about what she would have to do today. _Go to prepared for the day, meet up with Aki, probably do some back log work at Judgment, come home, do homework, sleep. _Uiharu looked forward to meeting up with Aki, as she would probably have something planned. She knew she had to meet Aki at the park again, so she needed to get going soon.

Uiharu grab the left over rice she made last night, made some rice balls (filled with carrot, shredded lettuce, and soy sauce), grabbed a bottle of water, and got her favorite flower headband. The flowers weren't real, but they looked real enough so it cheered Uiharu up. She left her dorm, and began walking to the bus stop.

/\/\/\

/\/\/\

"Hello Aki!" said Uiharu, while waving at her. Aki waved back, smiling. Uiharu approached, and saw that Aki only brought a notepad. Aki was wearing timer around her neck, and also had her hair tied up, as the wind was blowing hard today.

"So Uiharu, ready for today's lessons?" asked Aki. Uiharu nodded, wondering what was in store.

"Yes Aki-senpai!" Aki laughed at this, but she grabbed a lighter from her pocket.

"Remember how yesterday I had you holding this?" asked Aki. Uiharu frowned at her.

"Do I look like an airhead? Of course I remembered! I also remember it hurting." Aki shrugged off Uiharu's comment. She then pointed at her body. "So how much of a difference do you think there is between my body temperature and the lighter's fire?"

Uiharu paused. _Probably a lot, as the fire burnt me. _

"I say about ten times hotter," said Uiharu. "I mean, wouldn't that make sense?" Aki shook her head.

"Think about it. You are saying that the lighter's flame is ten times hotter than your body. But if you think about it that would mean that you are saying the flames are about 370 degrees Celsius. That is 100 degrees below what the surface temperature of Venus." Uiharu felt depressed. But Aki laughed.

"I am not saying you overshot it. I am actually saying you undershot it, by about 1000 degrees." Uiharu felt stupid. How could a simple flame be so hot? Aki saw the look in Uiharu's eyes.

"Don't feel bad. Your body temperature is 37 degrees Celsius. The boiling point for water is 100 degrees. Lava is about 1000 degrees, and a lightning bolt is about 28000 degrees. But temperature is only one part of wavelength modification." Uiharu was struggling to keep up. _How can she rattle these numbers off and even understand what they mean? And how is blowing my mind going to help me?_

Aki got up and threw her lighter into the nearby river. Uiharu, always thinking about her job at Jugdement, tried to go after the lighter.

"You can't just litter the city!" yelped Uiharu. "It's against the law!" But Aki laughed.

"I wasn't throwing it in the river for shits and giggles. I was going to make a point." Uiharu stopped.

"Huh, what point Aki-senpai?" asked Uiharu. Aki pointed to the river.

"Noticed how the water ripples?" Uiharu nodded, wondering what Aki was getting after. "Water is a great way to demonstrate the basic idea of wavelengths. The water moves outward, and depending on what you dropped, its forms a constant wave. But for our sake, we are thinking about something not visible. But if you can visualize what you are trying to manipulate, it helps tenfold." Aki walked over to Uiharu, placing her hand on her shoulder.

"What I am going to get you to do is be able to determine an object's wavelength, modify it to your purpose, and use it in a variety of situations." Uiharu felt a shiver run down her spine, but she was wanting to get stronger, for her other friends' sakes. "And for that, I am going to insist that you follow my basic instructions carefuly." Uiharu nodded.

"First thing first, you need to get in shape. If you are out of shape and attempt to do sound wavelength modification, you will cause tremendous damage to yourself. So I want you to run around the park ten times, and then return to me." Uiharu was about to go when Aki stopped her. "Oh, before you go, I want you to figure this out; how was I able to leave those men unburnt when we first met?"

Uiharu began running, trying to figure out Aki's questions. _Fire burns hot, much hotter than the human body. Yet they weren't burnt to a crisp. She couldn't have increased their body temperature, as a fever is only 40 degrees, and that would have killed them. But I don't see how she lowered the flame's temperature. So did she snuff out the flames? How, I don't think that her ability would enable her to stop the flames._

Uiharu kept trying to answer the question, only coming back to the start. She was tired, but her mind was too focused on trying to deal with Aki's question. She kept thinking, and despite her legs wanting to give out, she kept moving forward, trying to understand Aki's ability. She finally got down with the ten laps, but without figuring out how Aki did it. She saw Aki was coming over, and she felt the dread of failure coming on.

"So Uiharu, have you figured it out yet?" asked Aki. Uiharu sighed, and shook her head.

"No Aki-senpai. I don't know you didn't raise the men's temperature to be equal to the flame, but after that, I don't know." Uiharu was expecting Aki to insult her, but instead Aki smiled.

"Its alright Uiharu, the answer isn't obvious." Aki paused, looking out to the river. "I modified the flame's temperature at the bottom, thus preventing them from burning. The flames at top were burning at the expected 1379 degrees, but the bottom was a relatively cool 37 degrees."

Uiharu was shocked. _So she did modify the flames?_ But Uiharu wonder why not the entire flame.

"Aki-senpai, why didn't you affect the entire fire?" Aki cracked her knuckles before answering.

"Well, if I had altered the fire completely, it would cease being fire. Fire requires fuel and energy to burn. If I took away the heat from the flames, it couldn't consume the oxygen it needed, and would've gone out before those men passed out from fear." Uiharu stepped back, now fearful of Aki's ability. But Aki laughed, which calmed Uiharu down. "Don't worry, I am not going to light you on fire, that would be a waste of time. But in a battle, you must use everything to your advantage. If you must terrorize your enemy, then do so."

Uiharu thought upon those words. _If you must terrorize your enemy, then do so. But why, wouldn't it be better to not have to act? Wouldn't it be better to use my ability for the benefit of others? But then, why do I feel useless when Kuroko goes to apprehend a thug? Is it because I can't stop them as it stands?_

Aki saw Uiharu's thoughts. _Good, let her fears of being unable to defend her friends be her motivation. _Aki looked at Academy City's skyline. She felt a certain disgust looking at the skyline. It made her remembered the dark days of her past. Of when she was dealing with loss, pain, and having her mind ripped apart. _Why can't I rid myself of these memories? Why must I deal with them?_

"Hey Uiharu," started Aki, trying to get the memories out of her head. "How about you do some more laps, while I ask you to complete some calculations?" Uiharu nodded, and they began training in earnest.

/\/\/\

/\/\/\

"Argh. Aki-senpai, did you seriously expect me to solve those equations on the fly?" huffed Uiharu, feeling like her mind was numb and her legs like jelly. Aki laughed.

"It's a start Uiharu. You aren't going to be a Level 2, much less a Level 4, if you don't train both physically and mentally. I know some trainers prefer to train their subjects by doing calculations, and then exercise, or vice versa. But my method is more applicable. If you can't think while under stress, then you can't expect to reach your maximum potential." Uiharu was wondering where Aki got her training idea's from.

"Say Aki, who taught you the limits of your ability?" asked Uiharu, while stretching your legs. "I doubt you did it on your own." Aki remained quiet for a bit. She appeared to be lost in thought. But before Uiharu could say something, Aki answered.

"Well, as you know, my family is into science, and so they trained me. Or at least my uncle did. My parents died when I was young. My uncle was a very proficient esper trainer, and he would've become head of the family if he didn't get killed." Uiharu saw tears rolling down Aki's cheeks, as well as her voice becoming more shallow and low. "He taught me how to become a Level 4, but it was one of his students that lead to me now being only Level 3. I can remember his face when he learned I couldn't do anything above Level 3. His eyes were burning with anger or disgust, I couldn't tell. But after that, he stopped training me, and I don't blame him. My family has high standard, so he couldn't waste his time with me."

Aki at this point was trembling, on the verge of collapse. Uiharu got up and hugged her. She let Aki cry on her shoulder.

"I am sorry," said Uiharu. "I didn't mean to bring up these memories for you." Uiharu just stood there, waiting for Aki to calm down. After a minute, Aki wiped the tears from her face. She still was trembling, but it had decreased.

"Thanks, and it's not your fault Uiharu. It just the memory was painful," Aki turned to look on her watch. "Oh god, it was later than I thought it was. I got to go; I have to finish unpacking my things. I will see you soon Uiharu." Aki began walking away. Uiharu then looked at her PDA, and saw that she still had an hour to kill before going the Judgment office. _Might as well grab a bite to eat._

/\/\/\

/\/\/\

It was now late in the afternoon, and Uiharu was regretting getting something to eat before reporting. She got heartburn from the soup she ordered, and now she was running around, trying to find a missing boy. _Why can't Kuroko just teleport to where the kid is? It's not like she doesn't know the mall, she knows it pretty well, considering how much we have to patrol it._

Uiharu was checking each store quickly, but the burning sensation was distracting her. A couple of times she swore she missed the kid, and had to double back to make sure she didn't miss him. She felt like she was missing something, so she grabbed her PDA to confirm the kid's appearance.

_About 139 cm tall, green eyes, black hair, wearing a red jacket, and wearing glasses. About 9 years old. Damn it, save for the eyes, everything else is pretty much average. Why can't this day go better? _Uiharu sighed, annoyed with not finding the kid. She phone Kuroko.

"Kuroko, have you found the boy that went missing?" Uiharu heard Kuroko sigh.

"Yeah, about ten minutes ago. Sorry for not informing you. He was at the game arcade center, in the back corner. Thankfully, his mother picked him up shortly after I found him, so all it well." Uiharu seethed silently. She was glad to hear the kid was fine, but still, to fail again so soon got on her nerve.

"Alright Kuroko, any other reports?" asked Uiharu. "I am in front of the Seventh Mist." She heard Kuroko checking her PDA. A minute later, Kuroko replied.

"Nope. Well come back to the station, we have back logged work to catch up on." Uiharu sighed. She knew that the work was mostly filing and reorganizing old case files, working on cases that went dead, or trying to figure out if a case has any relevance to another.

Uiharu was about to return to the station when she overheard two men talking.

"Hey, how do you think the boss is going to react to hearing Aki is working behind the family's back," said the first man. He was tall, black hair, and wearing a lab coat.

"My guess, probably going to see how it goes," replied the second man. He was blonde with shades on. "The boss is willingly to see those that stray from the family if they bring potential. Also Aki was trained by the best. If her training some Level One is important to her, then most likely the boss will stand back and try some to get some angle to take advantage of the situation." Uiharu decided to follow, silencing her phone and setting her PDA to record the conversation.

The men were walking out of the mall, towards District 7. Uiharu made sure to keep them within range of the recorder, but also to keep hidden. The men didn't appear to know she was there and continued talking.

"So what about the other projects?" asked the first guy. "How does the boss plan to remove the threats to the family?" He was looked calm, but Uiharu noticed his left hand shaking slightly. _Whatever he was talking about has him stressed._

"The whole family is thinking on how to deal with the threats. But let focus on getting the package before it gets dark, I don't want to deal with punkass Espers at night." The second guy was periodically looking around, but he didn't seem to notice anything.

They walked for about 10 minutes before arriving at a warehouse. Uiharu hid behind a broken down van, hoping to see what the men were picking up. She peered from the corner to see the two men greeted by some members of Skill-Out.

"Hey, you got the money?" asked the most notable Skill-Out member. "It wasn't easy making sure that your 'package' got into the city without Anti-Skill or Judgment catching wind. We lost a lot of men in the diversion; it had better be worth it." The First man smiled.

"Of course it is. Eventually, this package will be seen as the catalyst to ending this city's issues." He tucked the package, which appeared to be a simple yellow package about the size of a book, into his coat. "But I never intended to pay you." Before the Skill-Out members could react, the second man pulled out a gun and shot each of them in the neck. Uiharu covered her motuh, trying not to scream. But when she dared to look, she didn't see blood. The two men were chuckling.

"Ah, all in a day's work eh?" said the first. "But couldn't we have shot them?" The second shook his head.

"Bodies are hard to explain, plus I wanted to test this concoction. Its an anesthetic that has a die effect of causing the subject to lose memory of what they were doing fives hour prior to be injected. Very useful." The first man laughed.

"Well now, remind me to have you use that on me when I go to my inlaws." Both men laughed at this, and Uiharu decided that she better get out of the area. She used the van as cover, and she ran down an alleyway that would have her come out near her branch's officer.

She wondered what the men were up to, and who this family was. She knew Aki was connected, but she doubt that Aki would actually belong to a family where they didn't have a problem with harming people, to the point where they seemed to enjoy it. But she remembered Aki's face. _Maybe that's why she didn't bring it up, maybe she didn't want to be held in the same regard as those men. _

/\/\/\

/\/\/\

"Huh, noticed the girl," said the first guy. The second guy glared at him, annoyed with his companion.

"How the hell couldn't I? But at least we know she isn't an idiot. Maybe Aki sees something in her, so it's worth reporting to the boss that the girl is sharp. She was able to keep up with us and remained mostly undetected." The second guy sighed. "But too bad for her, he little PDA gave her away, and thankfully, I brought insurance." He pulled out a small device.

"This little jammer will erase anything she had saved on that PDA, and also take all that data. We can hear what she heard later, but for now, let's get out of here. These Skill Out punks are nothing but trash anyway."

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**Author's note: Ah, each chapter keeps getting longer. This one was nearly 3000 words. Better make sure it doesn't exceed a certain length, for you guy's sakes. I don't want you guys seeing a wall of text that makes mere mortals shrink away in terror. Anyway, either follow, favorite, or review this story. I am up for suggestions.**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four: Training Day

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Uiharu was on her way back to her dorm, after dealing with a session of file organization at the Judgment office. She was tired, bored, and annoyed with being unable to find anything on those men. To top it off, her PDA appeared to have been wiped, and was now nothing more than a glorified paper weight.

She sighed heavily, being unable to do anything useful. She thought about how tomorrow would be the same as most other days, with her being generally useless. She entered her room and decided to get some sleep, thinking that sleeping would somehow deal with her issues.

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Kuroko and Misaka were in their dorms, doing some homework and having a conversation about the new student Aki. They had been introduced today by the Dorm's headmistress.

"I don't mind Aki," began Kuroko. "Yet I feel she is similar to someone that I don't like. She gives this air of superiority, even though she down leveled to Level 3." Misaka brushed it off. She knew a number of people who could give a damn less about power level.

"Well, maybe she isn't used to people," countered Misaka. "I know that some people don't open up to others easily, and act superior until that barrier is breached. But I did get the feeling of similarity with her. I wonder who she is related to?" She paused. She knew of several people that she wouldn't want Aki being related to. Accelerator, Therestina Kihara, Shokuhou Misaki , and several others. But then Kuroko got up.

"Well, it makes no difference," said Kuroko quietly. "Apperantly, Aki knows Uiharu, and has offered to train her to level up." Misaka was surprised at this news_. When did Uiharu know someone before either her or Kuroko?_

"They met when Uiharu and I were trying to deal with a Skill-Out riot in District Seven. She saved Uiharu when I was busy dealing with a group in the narrow streets. But I wonder, why was she in District Seven, I though the district was blocked off by Anti-Skill." Misaka stretched her arms, before replying.

"District Seven isn't a place that an Esper should hang out at. Skill-Out is unchallenged there, and most crimes there go unreported. But then again, maybe she doesn't want something found out." She paused, trying to collect her thoughts. "I mean, it would be the last place someone would search for her." Kuroko flopped onto her bed, and began to curl up.

"Well, she now has a dorm at the school, so hopefully she won't go back to District Seven." She paused, looking at Misaka. "But if she does, I am going to find out why." Misaka nodded, thinking along the same lines as Kuroko.

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

Uiharu was in her class the next day, listening to her teacher talk about personal reality. She looked at her hand and was put off. _Thermal hands, weak even by esper standard. But Wavelength modification, what are the limits of that? _

She was about to nod into a silent stupor when her teacher call for her. She jerked into attention.

"Uiharu and Saten, since I heard this morning that you both have volunteered to be a trainee at Tokiwadai, you two are hereby dismissed early to attend the first training session. Also for future reference, you are to leave at this time Monday, Wednesday, and Friday." He then turned his attention to back to the class. Uiharu got her stuff and began walking to the door, with Saten following.

"So Uiharu, who are you training with?" asked Saten, who was almost bouncing happily in anticipation. Uiharu laughed.

"Her name is Aki, and she claims to have a similar ability to mine," replied Uiharu. "But she seems to be able to do many things that I can't do yet." Saten laughed it off casually.

"Of course she can, you are only a Level one where she is at least Level three. Don't worry about it, this training program is supposed to help level us up." She continued to smile, happy that she finally became an esper. But Uiharu still doubted her potential, but there wasn't much time to dwell on it, as a chauffeur from Tokiwadai.

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After a brief introduction to the school and the purpose of the training, Uiharu and Saten split up to meet with their trainers. Uiharu saw Aki in front of her, and she noted that Saten and Kongou were going to work together.

"So how are you feeling Uiharu?" asked Aki. Uiharu shrugged.

"Not bad, but how exactly will I be trained?" Aki then turned to look at the other 'trainers'. _They haven't a clue on how to train an esper,_ she thought, annoyed with the methods she observed.

"Well, I will tell you one thing, I will expect to see you on the weekends, as only doing it 3 times a week isn't going to be enough to get you to Level 2 by the next scan. And also, my method, as taught to me by my uncle, will focus on having you do calculations while under stress, on top of understanding the method of your ability." She paused, grabbing her notepad.

"I want to verify your ability, as I know that Wavelength modifications can take many forms. As with me, I can adjust an object's wavelength, be it fire or sound. But I can't modify the target's wavelength beyond a certain point. So I want to see if you are general modifier or specific." She grabbed a speaker.

"I know you can handle modify temperature, but I need to know if you can modify sound waves. So I want to see if you can increase the pitch of the speaker. Even though you are Level One, you can modify the wavelength of the speaker. If you can't, then I know how to train you." Uiharu nodded, and approached the speaker.

She place her hand on the speaker, and thought about raising the pitch. But the more she tried, the less it did anything. Finally, after three minutes of trying to affect the speaker, Aki stopped Uiharu.

"Alright, so for you, I will focus your training on temperature modification." She handed Uiharu a ear piece. "I will talk to you about temperature modification while you are running along the track. Make sure you understand it and remember it, for it will make it easier on you."

Uiharu began running, and before Aki spoke, she noticed Misaka was busy trying to get her trainees under control, Kuroko was busy showing off her powers, and the others were simply having their trainees run around the track. _So many high level espers were training others, yet they didn't have the same training ideas._

"If you want to increase the heat of an object, or cool it, then you need to think of another object that has the desired properties. If you want to burn paper, then you would try and think of a fire, and raise the paper's temperature to match the fire. If however you want to cool an object, then what you would do is the opposite. If the object is hot, then think of something cold, like ice, to lower the object's temperature. It works based off of wavelengths, but for the most part, focusing on comparisons works fine for Level 1, 2 and partly 3. But if you want to get more finesse, then you will need to delve into the mechanics of heat."

Uiharu was impressed by Aki's explanation. She thought about the fire from Aki's match, and thought about cooling it down. But she kept thinking that the fire had to remain hot.

"Say Aki, wouldn't lowering the temperature of the fire cause it to go away?" asked Uiharu. She heard Aki laugh.

"That is one possibility, if you affect the entire fire. But if you just adjust a portion of the fire, then the rest can continue to burn while the affected area is cool to the touch. Nice picking that up Uiharu." Uiharu blushed a little, having never been complimented by a trainer.

"But listen, it's too soon to think about things like that. That is more Level 3 territory. For now, we should think about how you affect things outside your reach. To do that, think of heating the air around your hands, and having it affect the target. It is time consuming, but it will ensure you heat the object. One thing to note is that if you heat or cool the air to the affected object, the farther it is from you, the more concentration and energy it will suck from you to do so. So come back and let's try it to see if you get it."

Uiharu finished her lap, and then saw Aki with a beaker of water. Aki placed it on the bench.

"Now Uiharu, due to water being easy to see when you are heating it up, I want you to try and get the water as hot as you can from about 30cms. If you can increase the temperature, than double the distance until you no longer can increase the heat."

Uiharu placed her hand in front of the beaker. She concentrated on increasing the water's temperature, by thinking of boiling water. Soon, she felt the air around her hand heating up, which made her feel as though she could do this. She kept focusing on it, until she saw the water begin to have bubbles form on the bottom. Aki noticed this as well.

"Not bad. My thermometer saws it is around 90 degrees, so take it back and let's see if you can improve the distance." Uiharu backed up, and tried again. She felt the air heat up, but this time she was struggling to affect the water. She tried to think of something hotter. But she soon found out that she thought of something too hot, because when she applied the thought of a lava flow, the water in the beaker exploded, and the benches became extremely hot. Aki pulled her away from the benches.

"What did I do?" asked Uiharu, confused at what happened. "What did I do wrong?" Aki looked at her and sighed.

"Let me guess, you thought that increasing the temperature you could put out would increase the distance of your ability?" asked Aki, and when Uiharu nodded she chuckled. "That does work, but you are merely affecting the same 30cm area of air, but not the heat from the mass of air is radiating to the surrounding air and heating everything up. I thought something was off when the grass below you began to singe." Uiharu saw below her feet and saw indeed the grass was a little burnt.

"I am sorry Aki-senpai, I thought I could get the water to boil if I increased the heat." Aki laughed, much to Uiharu's annoyance.

"Well, water has this nasty habit where if you suddenly pour so much heat into it that it doesn't quite boil but rather forms into steam instantly. But never mind, this little test has already shown massive improvement in your ability. I would still rank it Level One, but it's not the 'maintain heat of objects in your hand' ability. Now you can affect objects outside your reach and affect the heat to you desires. "

Uiharu was surprised. Whereas other instructors had scolded her for lack of progress or failure to complete the task, Aki was open to Uiharu's progress, even if it stepped outside the bounds that Aki laid forth. However, Uihara felt light headed and collapsed. She felt that her body was trembline. Aki knelt down next to her.

"Aw damn. This is the problem with trying a lot in a little time," noted Aki. "You body and mind have yet to adjust to your ability, and as a result you will suffer fatigue and other issues. Just for now, sit down and have something to drink. We trained enough with your ability." Uiharu nodded, and was sipping on her water. She watched as the other groups trained, and thought how weird it was, to watch from the sidelines when she could be out there, improving herself.

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

It was 2 hours later when the training was over, and Uiharu saw her friends come over. Aki was visibly nervous, but she remained none the less.

"So Uiharu, how are you feeling?" asked Saten. "I saw that you were out after an hour or so. What happened?" Uiharu was still feeling out of it so Aki explained. The others looked shocked.

"Wait, you were the cause of the loud crack?" asked Kuroko. "My lord, please remind me to have you make tea without your ability, lest we lose kettles." Everyone laughed at this, even Uiharu, though it was more a chuckle than anything else. Kuroko turned to Aki.

"So Aki, what are you two focusing on?" she asked. Aki shrugged.

"I intend to help Uiharu focus on the basics of her ability, and then set of a regular training exercise designed to maximize her ability." Misaka nodded.

"I saw that Misaki was wasting time. She wasn't training as she was controlling her trainee. But what can you expect from her?" Aki nodded.

"I had Misaki try to control me, but I fucked with her hearing, and caused her to hear a high pitch squeal that caused her to lose focus." She laughed, but Kuroko and Misaka grew concerned. It sounded vaguely like Power Down, a device that a Skill-Out gang had used that was supplied to them by Therestina Kihara.

"But still, she isn't as bad as the Head Dorm Mistress," shuddered Aki. "I got my neck snapped by her for doing that to Misaki. My neck still hurts." She began to rub her neck. "Well, I got to go. Uiharu, I will see you soon."

As soon as Aki was out of sight, Misaka crouched to Uiharu.

"So Uiharu, what do you think of Aki?" she asked. "Both me and Kuroko aren't trusting her just yet." Kuroko nodded.

"See reminds us of someone, but we can't figure out who," said Kuroko. "And so we want your opinion."

Uiharu thought about Aki. _She does act standoffish, but that could be due to her past with her family, which I don't know much about. But she is helping me out, so she can't be that bad. _Uiharu looked at her friends.

"I trust her, as she is helping me out, and she has yet to twist me to some plan." The others sighed.

"Alright Uiharu, we will back you up then. But if she does something off, please tell us." Misaka and Kuroko walked off, while Saten decided to help Uiharu get back to their dorms. They talked about Saten's training and for a while Uiharu was glad the focus wasn't on her or Aki. But halfway home, Uiharu sensed something was wrong.

It was as if she was being watched. She turned around to check behind her. She saw no one that stood out, just a couple of students, workers, and passing traffic. She shook herself. _There isn't anyone watching, right? Just forget yesterday and the men you saw, I doubt they knew you were there, otherwise they would've dealt with you._

She turned back around, and Saten hadn't noticed what Uiharu had been up to since she was still talking about her training. Uiharu decided to enjoy the company while she could. She listened to Saten, who was genuinely happy about the training.

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**Author's note: Well, thanks for reading so far. Just a couple of things I wanted to say;**

**First, thanks to the person who pointed out I misspelled 'Kugelblitz'. Always need someone to point out little things like that.**

**Second, If you have suggestions or have some relevant information regarding the story, please tell me. I haven't read the magna nor the novels.**

**Finally, I know this chapter was fairly slow, but trust me, once I figure out entirely what is going to happen, I will increase the pace. I am going to call these four chapters the prologue-arc. The first chapter in the next arc will have it mentioned in the chapter selection.**


	5. Chapter 5: Black Market Arc

**Black Market Arc**

Chapter Five: Contraband

"Uiharu, what are you doing?" muttered Kuroko. It was another day at the office, but instead of being usually chatty, Uiharu was quiet and zoned out to her surroundings. Kuroko turned around, seeing Uiharu was on the computer. "UIHARU!"

Uiharu snapped back into reality. She looked at Kuroko, who was miffed.

"Sorry, I was searching for something. What's up?" Kuroko sighed. She knew something was off with Uiharu since she began training with Aki. But it had been a month since then, so why was Uiharu still off.

"Listen Uiharu, after our shift ends, you want to hang out with Saten and Misaka?" asked Kuroko. She knew the other two were concerned as well. Uiharu shrugged.

"Sure, where at?" Kuroko was about to answer with Konori Mii came in.

"Well, sorry to break the lull, but we got a case," she said. She turned her laptop to Kuroko and Uiharu. "About 5 hours ago, a break in occurred at a lab. No one was hurt, but several cases filled with research material was stolen." She paused, clicking a new file. It was a picture of a man, roughly 180cm tall and with black hair running with a case in his hand.

"This is the person who broke into the lab. He was dropped out of sight near a construction site. Due to not wanting to cause panic, Anti-Skill is letting us take the lead. We are to apprehend the suspect and recover the research material." Both Kuroko and Uiharu knew that they would have to get a move on, so Kuroko teleported with Uiharu to the construction site.

"Alright Konori, any guess on where he could've gone from here?" asked Kuroko. While waiting for Konori's response, Uiharu pulled out her new PDA. She pulled up a map of the area, and noted three areas. One was an office building under renovation, the second was an abandoned research lab, and the third was a down troddened apartment complex. She pointed this out to Kuroko. Konori Mii heard this.

"Alright, you two check out the lab, I am calling in a favor from the 142nd office to search the office complex. The apartments however will need to be handled by Anti-skill, so I am going to call them up for some help." Kuroko smiled.

"Alright, at least we got the smallest building to search. Shouldn't take long." muttered Kuroko. She turned to Uiharu.

"So how is you training going?" she asked. Uiharu smiled.

"Not too bad. Aki is training me hard, but I guess I shouldn't hold that against her. But still, the progress is slow." She looked down at her hand, annoyed with her ability. "So I have to train harder, and I won't know when I will be able to do more, so it gets on my nerves." Kuroko smiled.

"Don't worry too much Uiharu. It will take some time to Level Up." Uiharu nodded, but she wasn't in the mood to hear that it will take time. She had been a Level One for too long. She saw that she needed more power, to protect those she cared about. They had arrived at the lab.

The lab was only one story above ground, but according to some data Uiharu gathered, it went below ground another 2 stories. Kuroko looked at Uiharu.

"Alright, I will go in and head straight to the bottom. You search the first floor while I search the 2nd basement. Work your way to me. If you see trouble, radio me." Uiharu nodded. When Kuroko teleported away Uiharu entered the lab. She headed to the East wing, as it was the farthest from Kuroko.

She peered into each room, making sure no one was inside before she went in. After checking 20 rooms, Uiharu felt that this was going to be a waste of her time when she heard the whirring of fans in the room ahead of her. She hugged the wall, and peered into the room.

Inside the room was the man in the photo, working on a massive array of computers. She saw that the case was opened, with research papers in it. She attempted to contact Kuroko, but the signal wasn't reaching her. _Blasted radio. Even with the latest tech, simply being underground caused it to fail. _

She entered the room, preparing for a fight.

"Stop right there!" Uiharu announced. "I am with Judgment, and I am taking you into custody!" The man turned around. He scoffed at her.

"Oh really, you think that you are going to apprehend me? Well, I must say, you are cute, but highly delusional." He pulled out a buzz baton. "One hit from this and your body will seize up." He lunged at her, but Uiharu side stepped him. She picked up the case and swung at him, only to miss.

"Aw, so close," the man muttered. He swung the baton at her face, but missed when she ducked. Uiharu took this moment to thrust the case into his leg. She made sure to hit the knee, hoping to at least to knock the man over.

The man fell as expected, but before Uiharu could take advantage of the situation, he got up and lunged at her again. Uiharu stepped back, but tripped over some cords. She fell down and was at the man's mercy. He put his foot on her neck.

"Now, what I am going to do? I could apply a bit more pressure and break you wind pipe, or even your neck. But I am feeling generous, and I am going to let you go, so long as you don't try and meddle in my affairs!" Uiharu saw the rage glow in the man's eyes, but she herself was feeling wrathful. _Too hell with surrendering! _

Uiharu grabbed the man's leg. The man chuckled.

"Oi, what you think you are going to do, throw me off?" Uiharu shook her head.

"Nah, I am going to burn you!" Before the man realized his mistake, Uiharu thought of a fire burning in her hand. In moments, her hand heated the air up and began to burn the man's skin. He got off her neck, and was cursing her.

"Damn you little BITCH!" he lunged at her again witht eh baton, but Uiharu grabbed the man's hand and applied heat to his skin. The man wasn't fast enough to get out of her grip. He could feel his skin burn, and he began to panic.

"I-I- I surrender! Please stop burning me!" he pleaded. "I will cooperate!" Uiharu let the man go, and hand cuffed him. She tried to raise Kuroko.

"Kuroko, where are you?" asked Uiharu. She finally heard Kuroko's breath, which meant the radio was working again.

"I heard screaming, is everything ok? Never mind, I am coming!" Moments later Kuroko appeared. She saw the man was on the floor, and Uiharu was standing up. "So how exactly.." Uiharu interrupted her.

"Kuroko, get the man out of here, I am going to get whatever is on the computers so we can see what was going on. Also, the papers were in the case." Kuroko sighed.

"Could you at least have kept the papers in the case?" she said before teleporting away with the man. Uiharu gathered the papers into the case before checking the computers. She was downloading the information from the hard drives to her PDA when she decided to see what the man was up to.

She gained access to the files on the central computer, and found what appeared to be trial information. They were on something called X1, and the effects on people. She read the report.

_Positive effects include improved Esper ability, to which the user is able to increase in level in a fifth of the time normally required. However detrimental side effects include delusions, sleep deprivation, fatigue, and in some cases caused the user to suffer a fever that can be lethal. Production of X1 is still in its infancy, and the side effects would cause it to not be able to be sold in the open market. Thus the only available option to recover the losses in research and development of X1 would be on the black market. _

Uiharu stopped reading, as she knew that this wasn't something random. X1 was a drug that was similar to the Power Upper, a music file that increases a Esper's ability but would cause them to fall into a coma. If X1 was distributed, the results could be disastrous. She looked to see who made X1, but that part of the file had been scrubbed. She sighed. _I guess that it will have to wait until the rest of the computers' content have been looked through._

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"Wow Uiharu, that is pretty impressive!" said Saten, after her, Kuroko, Misaka, and Aki heard how Uiharu took down the man at the lab. "So does that mean you are close to Level 2?" Aki intervened.

"Hm, maybe. I predicted another 2 weeks before I would've considered her able to become a Level 2, but maybe something deal with applying you ability in a high-stress environment prompted your ability to improve." Aki put down her water, looking at Uiharu. "So what was the man looking into?" Kuroko sighed.

"Aki, just because your Uiharu's friend doesn't mean you get to ask about Judgment cases." Kuroko was pacing, annoyed with Aki. She didn't have anything on her yet, but that didn't make Kuroko like Aki any different. But Aki kept on talking.

"But still, shouldn't you be open to outside ideas? Sometimes following protocol will get you blind to the solution to the issues." Kuroko didn't turn to her, but she began to seethe.

"That doesn't give me a reason to trust you with this information, why should I indulge you with information pertaining to the case?" Aki opened her mouth, but after a minute she closed it, sighing.

"I actually got no reason. Very well, I will drop it." Aki turned to look out the window, which allowed Uiharu to talk to Kuroko.

"Kuroko-san, did you have to be rude about it?" asked Uiharu. "I doubt she is up to anything." Kuroko sighed.

"But she is a civilian!"

"So is Misaka, but that doesn't stop either of us from having her help out." Kuroko paused. _Did I just get out-logic by Uiharu?_

"Alright, but you mind if I ask why you want to involve her?" Uiharu raised her finger, wanting a second to get something off her mind.

"Hey Aki," began Uiharu. "You family are a bunch of scientist right?" Aki reconfirmed this, which allowed Uiharu to continue. "So did your family deal with something called X1?" Aki paused before answering.

"I don't know, what is X1?" Aki asked. Kuroko looked at Uiharu, wondering where she was going with this.

"X1 is supposed to give Espers a boost, but it has serious side effect. In a file I read at the scene, whoever is making X1 is going to distribute it in a black market. Does Academy City have a black market?" Aki looked at Uiharu.

"Well yeah, its how I…" Aki stopped, realzing what she said. Kuroko got close to her, with demon eys.

"Oh, what did you do Aki-san?" demanded Kuroko. "Did you buy some X1, or are you selling X1?" Aki waved her hands about, almost on the verge of tears.

"N-n-no!" she sighed. "I use the black market to buy computers; it is cheaper than buying it at a store, because my family cut me off from money except for the amount for going to school." Kuroko step backed, almost ashamed of forcing it out of Aki. But she wasn't going to stop.

"So what is sold in this black market?" asked Kuroko. Aki bowed her head down.

"Anything really. If someone wants it, it could be bought or traded at the market. I usually trade my old research papers that I am no longer using for computers." She looked at Uiharu. "Please don't hate me, I get desperate at times, because I need a lot of computers to run high level simulations." Kuroko however just sat down.

"It's alright, just stop going there. But how does one get in?" Aki looked confused.

"Get in? Um, you don't. You go through a proxy website that upon entering a code gets you to the actually site. They use couriers to make the exchange of goods. I know that these Couriers are usually Skill-Out." Uiharu was annoyed with Aki now.

"What?! You helped fund Skill-Out for computers?!" she barked at Aki. Aki rolled back in her chair.

"Look, I didn't know Skill-Out were a bunch of punks, and usually, nothing ever when down at the exchange save for me giving the Skill-Out members my papers in exchange for a new computer." Uiharu was about to yell at her some more when she remembered something.

_Those two men, were they using the black market? If so, why did they attack the Skill-Out people? Wouldn't that be bad for them?_

"Say, what happens if the couriers are assaulted?" asked Uiharu to Aki. "Would that be noted by those working in the Black Market?" Aki saw through Uiharu, knowing she was probing for some information, but didn't mention this to the others.

"Sadly no. The couriers know that there is a chance for a participating party to try and get out of paying, but then the conflict arises between the two parties, not with the entirety of the black market." Uiharu sighed, hoping she could get some information regarding the men she saw. But Kuroko was thinking of something else.

"Alright Aki, we will need you help with taking down the black market," announced Kuroko, much to the surprise of everyone, including Aki.

"Fine, but I have one condition," said Aki. "I don't get any sort of punishment for using the black market after all this is over." Kuroko paused.

"Alright, so lets get planning." Kuroko pulled out a piece of paper. "Uiharu and Aki, I want you two to work with figuring out where the black market is working out of. Aki will get you in, and then Uiharu, you need to trace them back to their source of operation." Kuroko looked at Misaka.

"Onee-sama and I will track any couriers and stop them. If possible, we will take out any safe houses that the black market uses. I will contact anti-skill to help out flush out safe houses if there too many for Judgment to handle." Everyone nodded, and they began for the long days ahead.

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

**Author's Note: Thanks to those who are following. This begins the new 'Black market Arc'. Trust me, it will get more hectic for Uiharu, and the men from the last update will be revealed. Please review and favorite the story.**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6:

Uiharu and Aki had logged into the black market. Uiharu then turned to her other computer and began typing in commands.

"Alright, as long as you remain in this site, I should be able to track the server locations, as well as intercept any transaction locations," stated Uiharu. "Now we leave the rest to Kuroko, Misaka, Judgment, and Anti-Skill." Aki nodded, tired as it was getting late. She turned to Uiharu.

"Uiharu, when you asked about the couriers, did you think you stumbled upon a deal earlier?" asked Aki, her voice soft. Uiharu nodded solemnly.

"Yeah. It happened about a month ago, and I was following these two men. They met with some Skill-Out members, and after receiving a yellow package they knocked them out. I tried to get evidence, but my PDA was wiped." She paused. "I only remembered due to you mentioning the black market and the couriers." Aki saw that Uiharu was hurt, probably because she couldn't have done anything to stop the two men.

"So what did the two men look like?" asked Aki. Uiharu thought about it, straining as it had been a while.

"The first man was tall, had black hair, and wore a lab coat. The second blonde has shades on. About the same height as the first man." Uiharu paused, debating if she let Aki know that the two men mentioned her. But she saw Aki sigh.

"Uiharu, you realize that the description you gave could apply to most men in the city," she said with a twitch. "That won't help me out much in knowing if I know them." Uiharu was fighting the urge to tell Aki about the conversation she overheard. She wanted to warn Aki in case they were a threat, but what if she up and left, leaving her remaining a Level One? But before she could debate any further, her computer program made a beep, indicating that it finally found the source of the black market. She peered at the locations.

"This can't be right," said Uiharu. The location was the research lab that had been broken into. "Why would the black market be ran out of there?" she thought about what the lab did. She looked up the lab's works. She didn't see anything off with the listed projects.

Uiharu thought maybe something was wrong with her computer when Aki got up and looked close at the screen.

"What do you see that I am not?" asked Uiharu. Aki pointed at the news article tab.

"This lab is about to be shut down for failing to produce anything of worth. And it specializes in Esper training techniques." Uiharu didn't get it. _Why would a lab specialzing in Esper training be the site the black market is based out of? _She was about to grab the tea when she remembered.

_X1 is designed to boast Esper's performance, but it is too dangerous to be sold, so to get around it, the lab is using the black market to sell X1 and save the lab. _She turned to Aki again.

"So is the entire lab in on the take?" she asked. Aki shook her head.

"Probably not, it be too many people to keep quiet. I think maybe those higher up or the division head of the lab that is making X1 is on the take. Tell Kuroko and Misaka to investigate that area." Uiharu got on the phone and notified Kuroko and Misaka of their lead.

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

"Alright Uiharu, we are en route," said Kuroko. She flipped her phone lid down. "Good news Misaka, we won't be waiting for long. We are heading to the lab that was broken into. Apparently that is where the server for the black market is set up." Misaka nodded.

"Alright, any idea who is running the black market?" asked Misaka. Kuroko shrugged, which is all Misaka needed. They teleported to the lab's front door.

"Huh, we aren't going to sneak in?" asked Misaka. Kuroko sighed.

"Sometimes being a member of Judgment has its benefits," Kuroko stated. "And as a result, I can enter the lab with you, as we are still allowed entrance to the lab for another 24 hours, due to the investigation into the break in."

They entered the lab and was greeted by a guard. The guard looked bored and tired.

"Huh, oh, it's a member of Judgment. Alright, I will escort you to where ever you two are going. This is a lab, so you aren't allowed to enter any labs that are in the middle of research." Kuroko smiled.

"No problem, we just need to check the server room." The guard looked at her strangely.

"Didn't you guys already check in there?" asked the guard. Kuroko looked confused.

"What are you talking about?" she asked. The guard face palmed.

"God damn it! I seriously fucked up now didn't I?" He sighed, and began. "About 3 hours ago, I let in these two people that claimed to be with Jugdement. I checked their credentials and they checked out. But if you guys are asking about it, then I fucked up! I can't afford to lose this job!" Kuroko paused the man.

"First, file a report with the 177th branch of Jugdment about the incident. And second, let us check the server room." The guard escorted them to the server room. He stood outside, making sure he didn't fuck up again.

The server room looked normal, but after hacking into it with her ability, Misaka saw that a false node was set up. She started to charge up, with arcs forming along her arms.

"For fuck sake," started Misaka. "We get here, and it turns up to be a dead end. I suppose we are going to have to let Uiharu know that someone got past her computer skills."

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

Uiharu was annoyed. Officially, the investigation into the black market fell into Anti-Skill, as they had a better cyber-defense team than Judgment. _This is despite the fact that I can defend against cyber intrusion for Judgment._ She was on her way back to her dorm, annoyed with how the day went. _Even in my element, I can't do shit to help out! _She punched a nearby light, and felt her hand heating up, eventually melting a bit of the light pole.

She eventually got to her dorms, and she sat down. She tried to focus on her homework, but the day's events kept her from concentrating. Nothing seemed to calm her down and concentrate, she was so pissed with being unable to do anything.

She left her dorm, and decided to go to the park. At this time, the park should be deserted, so whatever she was going to do, she wouldn't be bothered. She arrived, and went to the river. She sat down, trying to calm her mind by watching the flow of the river. But instead she seethed, as now she had time to concentrate on her failures.

_How the hell is anyone going to take me seriously? I can't help my friends, I get easily fooled, and now my skills as a computer savant are in tatters. _She grabbed some leaves, crumbling them in her hand. _Just like these leaves, my future is crumbling. _She looked at the leaves, and a nasty grin formed on her face.

She adjusted the air temperature to the ignition point of the leaves, and watched as they burned in her hands. It made her feel good. Fire, it was something she could make, given if she was within touching distance. Then she remembered how she detonated the water a month ago. She quietly gathered some leaves in a pile on the sidewalk, and concentrated on the air around the leaves to increase in heat.

In mere moments, the leaves caught fire, and she watched with made eyes. _I can control the air temperature, hell I can control any tempreture, and with it I can make it dance to my wishes. _She smiled, thinking of her friends. _With this, and the right conditions, I could take down even Misaka Mikoto. It only be to burn the environment where she couldn't fight anymore._

She paused, and shook herself. She couldn't believe she was having these thoughts. She wanted power to protect her friends, not surpass and control them. She looked at the leaves once more, thinking about the man she had burned.

"He deserved it, he tried to kill me. He mocked me, and I showed him my will." Then she gathered herself up. "I can't let my power control me, I need to use it for my goals, not the other way around." But even when she said this, she was thinking how it would feel to be equal or above Misaka. _If I Level up some more, I can become truly powerful. _

She left the park, struggling to keep her greed under check. But outside the park was a van with two men inside, observing her.

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

"Huh, so she can catch leaves on fire now," said Katsu. "But seriously, why are we now following her around?" Katsu was a former researcher that trained many espers, most of them becoming level Three. But now here he was sitting in a van following Uiharu Kazari, a Level One.His partner shrugged.

"Because Aki is training the brat, and you know who trained her, right?" said Taiki. "So if Aki is taking her time to train a Level One, the boss is going to be interested in seeing if the girl will be of any use to his plans." Taiki was a former soldier in the JSDF, until he met with Katsu for a simple task; collect a package and return it to the boss.

But upon getting to Academy City, they noted Aki's presences, the fact she was training Uiharu, and that Uiharu had managed to follow them to the meeting. So now they were paired together for a special assignment from the boss; observe Uiharu, compile weekly updates, and assist indirectly to keeping Uiharu alive if needed. They also were being kept on operational stand-by to prevent any possible fallout from occurring if needed for other operations.

"But still, she is a Level One," muttered Katsu. "It will take years for her to get to Level 5, if she can even do that." Tiki sighed.

"Well, Aki is pretty damn good at being a mentor for Uiharu. From our updates, our researchers are prediciting she might already be Level two." Katsu whistled.

"In just a month? Damn, I guess the boss is right for wanting to keep an eye on her. But wouldn't it be easier to hire some thugs to keep an eye on her?" Taiki laughed.

"We fucked those Skill-Out guys a month ago, and you are wondering why the boss isn't hiring goons to keep an eye out? It because by keeping it in house, the odds of someone fucking things up for us is reduced. Anyway, the boss has enough on his plate. I mean, how many operations went down the shitter for no reason other than outside interference?" Katsu nodded, knowing that the situation wasn't good.

"The family and the boss in particular, need something to change soon. Damn shame that there are too many wild cards to account for." He saw the time. "I hope she heads to bed soon, I am getting tired of this van."

"You and me both," muttered Taiki. "You and me both."

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

The next day, Uiharu reported into the Judgment office after a couple of hours training with Aki. While she impressed the other training groups with her ability to affect the tempreatures of objects far from her (now up to 10 meters), Aki wasn't too pleased. Maybe she saw something change in Uiharu, something that is giving her reason to pause? _Of course not, I only know what I did last night. And beside those flames were a part of me._

She opened the door to see Kuroko with her face down on her desk. She was muttering about how 'her trainee is a complete novice' and how she wished she could 'knock some sense into her'. Uiharu sat down at her desk and began looking at her computer program, the one that failed to find the source of the black market server.

She looked over the code, trying to find the error. After an hour of fruitless effort, she sighed. She knew that because she failed to find the source, Anti-skill had taken the case, which angered her. _It was our case, we had a plan, but it failed because my computer was fooled! _She paused, realizing it wasn't the computer's fault, but her own. She ran the trace again, remembering Aki's login to the website.

"Within minutes, it lead back to the lab, but this time, she ordered her computer to keep searching. With this command, the computer began tracing the source. Eventually, she got another hit. This time, it was at a derelict lab that was near the train yard. She grabbed her bag, making sure there was a radio that could contact Kuroko at a moment's notice. She looked over to Kuroko, who was still sulking, and left the office.

_I probably should've told her, _noted Uiharu. She shook herself in anger.

"_No! It was my fault that this case is going on longer than it needed to have. I will solve this on my accord, and I will get my pride back!" _She stopped, fearful of this new voice in her head.

"_This isn't about my pride, it's about justice!"_

_Keep telling yourself that sweetie. The world destroys the weak, leaving only the strong."_

"_SHUT UP," _she told herself. By this time, she had reached the lab. She grabbed her PDA, making sure there wasn't any security systems active. She saw that there was an electric system in the basement, but other than that, there appeared to be no active security. She went into the lab and headed for the basement.

She arrived in the basement, and saw that there were some lights on. Quietly, she approached the lights, making sure to hug the walls and shadows to keep from being spotted. She peered into the room, and saw there was four Skill Out members guarding the computer server, along with a door that lead deeper into the lab. She overheard them talking.

"So, when are we going to ship out the X1 that we stole from that lab last month?" asked one of the men. The second shrugged.

"I think next week. I heard that besides that small amount we gave to those bastards who knocked our men out, the rest is going to be sold on the black market. I heard we are getting around ten billion yen!" The men started to laugh.

"Bullshit, that is some serious dope for about 1000 gram of X1. That rivals even the street price of coke." The second man ignored the insult.

"Nope seriously, if you don't believe me, some wannabe Level one espers are buying the entire stock," he looked at the others at the table. "I did refrain from telling them of the side effects. I wonder how this will go down? Ah who cares, we are going to be rich after this!" The men laughed, and Uiharu had enough.

She charged into the room and immediately hit one of the men behind the head. He crumpled on the floor in surprise and was knocked cold. The other three got up and pulled out some knives.

"Oi bitch, who do you think you are?" said the first man. "You think we are going to let you go?!" He charged at her and lunged at her. She jumped back and began raising the heat of the air around the guy's knife. Slowing, the handle got too hot for the man to hold. He dropped the knife, pissed that now his weapon was useless.

"Oh, a fucking esper you are? Well now, I guess it time for a little surprise." He stepped back as a man pulled out a remote, and before Uiharu could react, a loud high pitch noise rang out in the air. She collapsed, unable to concentrate. The men began to laugh at her despair.

"Hey, you know what this is?" asked the man. Uiharu struggled to focus, and began to scream in pain. The man chuckled. "It's called 'Capacity down'. I know that it fucks with espers like nothing else." He kicked her in the gut, making damn sure she knew that he was in control.

"There isn't anything you can do to stop us," said the man. "But hey, I am up for some fun." He pulled out a small package with a red pill in it. "Want to try? It's called X1, but I take it you already know what it is." Uiharu began to panic. In this god forsaken situation, she could even get a call out to Kuroko, she could fight back, and she couldn't run away. She was completely at their mercy.

The man pulled her up, and shoved the red pill into her mouth. He covered her nose and mouth, making sure she would swallow the pill in order to get air. Uiharu felt the effect of the pill immediately, and began to lose focus even more. She felt the world was going black, and she eventually lost all consciousness.

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

**Author's note: I hope you have enjoyed this chapter, and the next chapter will be out soon. Things get more and more extreme for Uiharu. Also a shout out to those who are following/favorite/reviewing this story, you guys are making me enjoy writing the story. **


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven: Intervention

\/\/\/

"Shit man, what is taking her so long?" muttered an annoyed Katsu. "She should've been out by now." Taiki noted that it had been 10 minutes since Uiharu entered the lab by herself. He began to process the information. There were no reports for Judgment to respond to this lab, she went by herself without informing anyone, and now she been in the lab for 10 minutes. He sighed.

"I am calling this in," muttered Taiki. "Over-watch 1 to command, permission to directly intervene. The subject under observation has detoured from the regular schedule and may be in danger." He heard the person on the other end sigh.

"This is command, what is the nature of the detour?"

"Unknown at this time, but this is a Skill-out hideout, so I doubt it's a social visit." He need only to wait a few minutes.

"This is command, you are clear to intervene. Lethal force is also allowed." Taiki and Katsu smiled at that.

"Finally, some action," noted Taiki. "Now is the time to test out my new toy." He pulled out from a locker in the van a TDI Vector, a .45caliber sub machine gun with enough stopping power to put down a man with only a few rounds. He handed Katsu his preferred Street-Sweeper, a 12 round revolver shotgun. Despite being a man of science, Katsu enjoyed the thrills of a firefight.

"Alright, lets get in, get the girl, and get out," began Katsu, taking point. "If anything is outside the norm, call command for further instruction." Taiki nodded, and the two enter the lab.

Upon entering the lab, the two began clearing each room, with the full intent to shoot on sight. They cleared the first floor, but upon entering the stairwell to head down, they head two men talking. They paused to listen.

"Hey, what are we going to do with the girl?" said the first man. The second laughed.

"The boss is calling for back up, as she is a member of Judgment. But in the meantime, probably kick the shit out of her while her mind is getting fucked up by X1." The first man sighed.

"I thought X1 was supposed to give an esper more power, is it not?" The second man shrugged.

"Sure, in those who are being trained with it. But first time, its acts like frying a computer's hard drive. Its too much at once, plus we gave her ten times more than what you are supposed to take at the first time." Having heard enough, Katsu dropped down the stair well.

"Oi boys, ain't today my lucky day?" he said, before unloading 2 shots into each man. Certain this got the other Skill-Out members' attention, Katsu and Taiki began advancing. They began to clear each room quickly, but then they heard voices down the corridor.

"Shit, boss, these guys aren't Anti-Skill!" said some guy.

"Yeah, they are packing too much heat. You think they are after our cache?"

"It don't fucking matter, take care of the men, because in minutes we are going to have back up! I am going to have a 'chat' with the girl." Katsu and Taiki began to double time it, and saw that at the end of the corridor, two members of Skill Out were blockading their advance. They opened fire with some smuggled hand guns. Katsu took cover on the left, while Taiki took cover on the right.

Taiki knew from experience that amateurs tended to fire together, and thus had to reload together. He waited for the shots to end, and then he heard the men cussing.

"Fuck! I need to reload." Taiki took this moment to close the distance and opened fire with the vector. Each burst ripped the men apart, and blood began to flood the hall way. Katsu chuckled.

"Fucking punk-ass kids, they shouldn't have even tried," he said. "Let's hurry this up and get the girl out." They entered the room, to see a door and heard the 'boss' of the gang here talking.

"You little bitch! Who are the men here?!" Katsu and Taiki stacked on the door when they heard a punch, probably to the face. "I asked you a question bitch! Who's here!" They heard something odd.

"Go… fuck… yourself," mumbled Uiharu. "I… don't know." Before they heard anything else, Taiki and Katsu breached.

Breaching is something that Hollywood and video games get very wrong. It doesn't slow down, you don't fire a hail of bullets, and the enemy isn't a bunch of frickin idiots. It requires good coordination, and often only a few bullets are fired. Katsu cleared left with Taiki cleared right. But upon breaching, they saw the man was standing in front of Uiharu, with his back to them.

Taiki, not wanting to risk hitting Uiharu, grabbed the man from behind and slit his throat. The man slumped to the floor, while Katsu checked on Uiharu. He saw that her eyes were dilated, and she appeared to have been beaten pretty badly. He looked at Taiki.

"Look, she is fucked up, but I don't know much about X1 except from that sample we took for further research. I do know that it isn't refined at the moment, and as such, she is probably having delusions and other shit we couldn't comprehend with."

"So what are you saying?" asked Taiki, then he face palmed. "Shit, she need medical treatment, but we can't take her to the hospital now can we? Aki would find out and then.."

"Yeah. When we get back to the van, call command for a place we can either drop her off or get her treatment." Katsu then sighed. "This day couldn't get any worse."

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

Inside Uiharu's mind, things weren't pretty. She couldn't really comprehend what was going on outside of her head, and even then, she was certain that X1 was doing a number on her head. She tried to think, but between the drug and the beating she took, her mind wasn't in the mood to focus on the outside world.

She tried to focus her mind when she heard a voice.

_"So naïve girl, how are you feeling?" _asked a arrogant voice. She turned to see a girl with black hair, taller than her, brown eyes, and wearing a black pinstripe attair.

"_Who are you?_" thought Uiharu. "Why do you look familiar?" The girl laughed.

"_That's because I am you, or rather, what you could be,_" said the girl. "_But no, you have to a girl who follows the lines and never acts on her accords._" She smiled. "_Oh wait, you did act on your accord, and now, because you lacked strength and focus, you got beaten up and are so drugged that it would take some time to recover._"

Uiharu grew tired of this person's talking.

"I thought I could stop them by myself, I thought I could undo my failures.." She was interrupted by her dark self.

"_How pathetic. Why not act for you own gains?_" She gave a deadly grin, one that sent shivers down her spine. "_Why must it be for other's sake? If everyone helped each other, than nothing would get done, and no progress would be made. And besides, aren't you weak? You are only a Level One, maybe Level Two._" Uiharu felt her head hurting, but now it was from the strain of arguguing with her dark self.

"_I am able to fight now though_!" she countered. "_Now I am not so useless.._" She stopped, thinking how despite the fact she could disarm the men, she was taken out by being outnumbered and being too slow to react. "_No, I guess I am not strong enough_." Her dark self smiled.

"_But with Aki training us, we could get higher_," said the dark Uiharu. "_When we increase in power, we can definitely benefit ourselves. We could even surpass the needs for relying on others. Shouldn't we take care of us first, and everyone else is second?_"

Uiharu tried to argue, but she felt weak and powerless. She was losing to her dark self, and she couldn't take it anymore.

"_Enough! I won't become some selfish monster, even if It means I could become a Level five. I want others to respect me, not hate and despise me! Leave me alone!_" Uiharu felt her dark self back off.

"_Fine, be that way. But when all else fails, I will be here, waiting patiently,_" said dark Uiharu. "_In the meantime, get better, you will need it._"

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

After getting Uiharu to the van and torching the lab, with all the X1 in it, Taiki contacted command. He really didn't want to, but he needed to, as Uiharu needed medical treatment which wouldn't show the family's involvement.

"Command, this is Over-watch 1. We got the target out of the lab, but she needs medical attention for X1. What are our new orders?" Taiki could hear command taking their sweet time. Then he heard something he didn't want to hear.

"This is command. Over-watch 1, you are to rendezvous with a contact within the city. He will treat Uiharu of the addiction, and then get her to the hospital. You will know who it is after you get to him." Taiki already knew who this contact was. _Was she really this important to the family? _

He looked over at Katsu with his now pale face.

"We are to meet with 'him'," said Taiki. "He will take care of Uiharu." Katsu slowed down, knowing who Taiki was talking about.

"Is command out of their god damn mind. He made it clear he wanted nothing to do with the family's affair, not after all that happened." Taiki shrugged.

"Well, hopefully he will see reason," said Taiki, with no enthusiasm in his voice.

They drove for 20 minutes before arriving at a apartment complex. Both men looked at each other. They played rock-paper-scissors to see who would have to deal with the guy's wrath. Turns out, it would be Katsu.

Katsu got out of the van and approached the first apartment. He sighed, and knocked on the door.

"Who the hell is it?" Katsu recognized the voice of someone who grew up with a hard ass for a father. "If this is some fucking prank, I will tear you god damn throat out."

"This is Katsu," he started. "I was told to contact you.." Before Katsu could finish, the door swung open and he was kicked in the guy. He looked up at the man.

Or rather, a young man. Barely 17, he had blonde hair, black eyes, and was wearing a lab jacket with black leather gloves on. The young man stepped on Katsu's neck.

"Just what do you think you are doing, you piece of trash?" asked the young man. "I thought I made it clear, that after my father's death, I wanted nothing to do with the scheming bullshit the family was up to." Katsu tried to answer, and was only able to do so when the young man lifted his foot slightly.

"I was told you could deal with a person that the family has a vested intrest in," began Katsu. "She is dealing from a drug overdose of X1." The young man whistled.

"X1 you say? Fine, but only because you got my interest," He stopped momentarily. "A girl you said?" Katsu nodded, only to be punched by the guy.

"You guys sure know how to piss me off," muttered the young man. He walked to the van and opened the back. He saw a girl with black hair having a fever and clearly delusional. She was muttering to herself, but it was incomprehensible. On top of this she was clearly beaten.

"What is her name?" asked the young man. "I suppose the reason the family told you idiots to contact me was so that I could get her clean and then get her to the hospital without raising alarm bells." Taiki nodded, willingly to spare Katsu another punch.

"Her name is Uiharu, and that would be correct. Can you treat her?" The young man smirked, feeling smug about the situation.

"Despite me cutting off most of my ties to the family, I am still a Kihara, and the son of Amata. I am Kihara Takeru. This won't be a problem, hell, it's just treating a onetime thing." He laughed, and left Katsu and Taiki to get the hell out of dodge.

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

Takeru place Uiharu on his bed, placed a bucket next to her, and began by giving her a drug which he created. Essentially, it forced whatever artificial toxins out of the body, but the process would be long and loud. The drug took effect after five minutes, and Takeru closed the door, not wanting to hear nor see the effects of the drug. But he knew with all the hurling, he wouldn't be able to sleep.

So he got onto his computer and decided to check on Uiharu. After a while, he got a hit on the girl.

"So you are Uiharu," muttered Takeru, looking at the door where he could still hear the sounds of her throwing up the insides of her body. "Level One esper, a member of the 177th branch of Judgment, attend school, decent grades. Oh, what's this?" he looked at a field marked special.

It was an announcement of espers who were getting trained at Tokiwadai Middle School. Uiharu was listed, with Aki as her trainer. Takeru laughed.

"Oh god, this is fucking hilarious!" He looked at the article. "Aren't the family using you to get a new esper to train on, and without you even knowing, right cousin?!" He paused, having heard the hurling stop. He sighed.

"Better make sure that the brat the family is interested in is doing alright." He walked into the room and saw that Uiharu had managed to keep your 'bodily content' inside the bucket. She was shivering and still feverish, but it was going away. She fell asleep on his bed.

Takeru decided that it would be best to get her to the hospital before she got up, and so while she was out cold, he got her into his car and drove to the hospital. He carried her inside and got a nurse's attention.

"Excuse me, I found this girl all beaten up on the road and decided to get her here." The nurse looked at Takeru.

"How are you related to this girl?" He shrugged it off.

"I'm not related to her, I just saw her beaten up, that's all." The nurse sighed.

"Alright, then sign this out while I get her to a room for proper medical treatment. Damn kids these days, getting into all sorts of trouble." Takeru left the hospital and whistled his way out. He looked backed, and wonder why the family would be interested in a Level One, but he remembered his father's crowning achievement; the making of the number one esper of Academy City, the vector change esper 'Accelerator'.

"Hmm, I wonder what they could use you for Uiharu," muttered Takeru, passing by a group of girls who were rushing into the hospital.

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

Kuroko, Misaka, and Saten rushed into the hospital. A few hours ago, Kuroko realized that Uiharu wasn't in the office anymore, and after failing to reach her, she entered panic mode. She got a hold of Misaka and Saten and they began looking around where Uiharu would be, only to find nothing. In fear of the worse, they decided to check the hospital.

Upon entering, Kuroko went to the admission desk.

"Excuse me," began Kuroko. "Is Uiharu Kazari admitted?" The nurse behind the desk looked at her. She began typing into her computer.

"Uiharu Kazari you say? Ah yes, she is in the ICU for injuries. Looks like she was assaulted pretty badly. Some guy came in with her, claiming he saw her on the road." Kuroko felt sick to her stomach.

"When can we see her? We are her friends," asked Kuroko. The nurse looked at her.

"Look, she wasn't doing well, if I had to guess, probably not. And look, its late out, you probably can visit her in the morning." Kuroko thanked the nurse and returned to Saten and Misaka.

"Uiharu is in the ICU, but we can't visit her at the moment," stated Kuroko. "Why did I not notice she was gone?" Misaka placed a hand on Kuroko's shoulder.

"It's not your fault. Maybe she had a lead and wanted to follow up on it by herself," said Misaka, thought she thought it wasn't like Uiharu to do that. Kuroko sighed.

"But we are partners, and I didn't even know she was gone." Saten shrugged.

"Well, should we tell Aki?" asked Saten. "She is also Uiharu's friend, and she might know where Uiharu went." Misaka nodded and got in contact with Aki. It sounded like Aki was asleep.

"Hello? Oh, hi Misaka, why are you calling me?" asked Aki, probably groggy and tired.

"Hi Aki, um, did you and Uiharu have plans later tonight?" asked Misaka. She heard Aki sigh.

"Nope, we had plans tomorrow, but not tonight. Why, is Uiharu ok?" Misaka began to shake.

"Uiharu… she is in the ICU from being beaten up," stated Misaka. She heard Aki drop a glass.

"Wha- how? Where was Uiharu when she was beaten up?" Misaka breathed in, trying to resist the urge to look her composure.

"I don't know, hell no one knows, save for probably the guy who brought her in," said Misaka. But she heard Aki stop whatever she was doing.

"What did this guy look like?" asked Aki.

"I don't know, we came in after Uiharu was admitted. The nurse forgot what the guy looked like also." She heard Aki sigh.

"Alright, I will come to the hospital then."

"It be a waste, we can't see Uiharu until morning." Misaka heard Aki sigh.

"Fine, then call me in the morning so I can come with you guys to see Uiharu." Misaka confirmed and hung up. _What was Uiharu doing, and who was the man who brought her in? _

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

**Author's note: And this is the last chapter to the black market arc. Now we know who Aki is related too, it will be soon time to see was the Kiharas are up to. But before that, a new Arc showing Uiharu recovering and becoming a stronger Esper. As always, review, follow, and fave. Also, i can't believe I forgot to name my last chapter, what a rubbish mistake I made. :/  
**


	8. Chapter 8 Trials and Hardship Arc

Trials and Hardship Arc

Chapter 8: Investigation

\/\/\/

Uiharu woke up, in a hospital bed, tired and feeling tender. She saw that her friends were by her side, and glad to see she was awake. But she wondered, _who got me here_? She remembered being beaten by the Skill-Out leader, being drugged with X1, but after that her reality became that of her mind. She shrugged it off for now.

"Uiharu, how are you feeling?" asked Saten. Uiharu nodded slowly.

"I feel ok," she began to say, but getting up caused her to feel a pang of pain. "Actually, I feel like crap. What happened last night?" Misaka looked at her and held her hand. Uiharu sensed that Misaka was shaking.

"We were wondering the same, as you left Kuroko last night at the office without telling anyone where you gone, and then we found you were in the ICU." Uiharu became intrigued.

"Wait, you guys didn't get me here?" she asked. She could tell though by their looks that they were telling the truth. She sighed.

"Alright, how about I explain everything then?" said Uiharu. Everyone nodded.

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

"Glad to see that Takeru came through," murmured Katsu, while placing a icepack on a bruise. "I was thinking he just punched me for shits and giggles." Taiki shook his head, drinking a cup of coffee in the van, listening to Uiharu with a laser mic.

"Takeru isn't like most of the Kiharas. Where the boss would love to experiment with little kids, and mind you he actually did, Takeru prefers to study medicine with lab rats. But he has no qualms with human testing; he just prefers to keep it towards the end. But he is able to put up a fight, without resorting to his ability." Katsu coughed in shock.

"He's an esper?"

"Yeah, Level Four if I recall correctly. But his ability isn't well known." Taiki took a sip of his coffee. "It is called 'mind scramble'. It allows him to screw around with people's minds, make them see doubles, not see him at all, or if they are an esper make them where they can't control their ability. It's a major crutch and gives him an advantage over most people." Katsu paused, thinking of the number one esper's ability.

"Wouldn't it be enough to beat the shit out of Accelerator?" asked Katsu. Taiki shrugged.

"No, Takeru wouldn't be able to beat Accelerator due to the fact that the number one could simply block his signals back. This was noted when the number 5 tried to probe into his mind and failed." Katsu sighed.

"Alright. So what is up with the girl?" he asked. Taiki handed him the mic and headphones.

"Knock yourself out," said Taiki.

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

"So you were knocked out in the lab before you woke up?" said Kuroko. "That is odd because the person who dropped you off said that you were found on the streets." Uiharu shook her head.

"I was in the lab, then I woke up here!" snapped Uiharu. "What reason would I have to lie?" Uiharu then saw Saten, Aki, and even Misaka tense up. Kuroko explained.

"Because then that would mean you could be implicated for the lab being burnt to the ground," she stated. Uiharu felt sick.

"But I-I-I, I wasn't even awake, and I was drugged! How can you say that I burnt the lab down?!" Uiharu felt her mind was about to burst. _Do my friends really think I would do that? _

"I am sorry Uiharu, but Anti-Skill is looking into the matter of the lab burning down. If there is any evidence of you burning the lab down, then.." Before Kuroko could finish, Uiharu got out of her bed, approached her, and slapped her.

"HOW DARE YOU THINK THAT! I wouldn't do anything like that!" yelled Uiharu. She saw her friends taken aback by her actions, and at the worst timing ever, her dark self decided to drop in.

"_Nice, really classy. Hey, I wonder if you friends still want to know you?_" said dark Uiharu. Uiharu began to seethe.

"SHUT UP!" Uiharu then realized that she said it aloud. But she couldn't get rid of dark Uiharu, nor could she see Misaka and Saten looking away nervously. Kuroko, still trying to put feeling in her face, spoke up.

"Uiharu, I doubt you intentionally set the lab on fire, its just that's what the evidence is saying now. You can light things on fire now, and you disappeared shortly before the lab caught on fire. I am sorry, but I am going to have to report your story."

Uiharu felt like a knife had been stabbed in her gut. She feared, no she knew that her friends were now trying to cut their ties to her. She sat back in the bed. She was annoyed with her situation.

"Fine, but leave, all of you," said Uiharu. Misaka and Saten were about to object, but Uiharu cut them short. "This isn't a request, this is a demand." Her 'friends' left her room. Dark Uiharu sat down.

"_Wow, that was really good to watch. So much determination coming from you, it was worth sticking around._" Uiharu glared at her.

"Just shut up already. My whole body hurts, and now my friends think I am an arsonist at worse or mad at best. Just shut the fuck up."

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

Misaka glared at Kuroko when they were in the hospital lobby.

"What were you doing Kuroko? Uiharu was badly beaten, and then you decide to suggest she caught the lab on fire, what are you thinking?!" demanded Misaka, grabbing Kuroko by the shoulders. Kuroko sighed.

"I was being honest about the situation. I was thinking about Judgment though, so…. damn it. Look, my head was elsewhere ok?" Kuroko looked conflicted. "I have never seen Uiharu that mad before."

Saten looked at Kuroko.

"So what will happen with Uiharu? She won't be punished will she?" Kuroko sighed.

"As far as I know, when I report this, she will most likely be put on suspension from her duty at Judgment." Kuroko sat down. "I wasn't trying to be evil to her, I was just stating a fact." Misaka looked over at Aki, who was talking with the nurse from last night. She walked over to her.

"How are you feeling Aki?" asked Misaka. She saw Aki was saddened, but there were fires in her eyes.

"Hey, I am fine. I don't know Uiharu that well, certainly not as well as you guys. But I think she is suffering from X1, just as she said." Misaka glanced at Saten and Kuroko, making sure they weren't hearing.

"What do you mean?" asked Misaka. "I thought the doctors said she wasn't drugged." They hadn't told this to Uiharu, and after all Kuroko said, it's doubtful she would want to hear it. Aki sighed.

"Look, did you smell her breath?" asked Aki. Misaka nodded, as everyone was trying like hell not to mention it. "Its smells as though she was puking, as though someone gave her ipecac or something similar to flush out the X1. And did you notice what she was like when she told us to shut up?"

"Not really, I thought it was self-evident." But Aki sighed at this.

"But she wasn't saying it to us, I think she was having a delusion and said shut up to 'it'. X1 has that effect on espers." Misaka cringed, feeling as though things for Uiharu were getting worse and worse.

"So what do we do?" asked Misaka. "At this rate, everything will be pinned against Uiharu, the lab burning and that." She saw Aki struggling, obviously weighing the choices of her options. She finally gazed into Misaka's eyes.

"Alright, we have two options; the first is to fabricate evidence on anyone else, other than Uiharu." Misaka gave her a look that told Aki that it wasn't going to happen. "The second option is we go talk to the one person who I think could've cleaned Uiharu up in such a short order." Misaka was confused; was was Aki hesistant.

"So, lets talk to this person, if he has information that could help Uiharu, then we should do it." Aki looked away.

"Fine but first thing first, I should tell you my whole name, then you will know why I don't want to see 'him'." Misaka was annoyed with the beating around the bush Aki was doing.

"Spit it out already Aki!"

"My name is Kihara Aki!" Misaka stopped.

"Kihara Aki? Don't tell me-" Aki lowered her head.

"Yeah, amongst my family members, Therestina Kihara is my aunt, and I knew you and Uiharu had to deal with her. I grew up with her and my uncle Amata, due to my parents dying. Buts lets go, I will tell the rest later, I rather get the horrible visit done and over with."

Misaka was stumbling for words. _Kihara Aki? Seriously, why was she helping Uiharu out. _

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

Uiharu sat in her bed, thinking to herself, and dark Uiharu was sitting in that chair, mocking her with her existence.

"_Why did you show up then? What did you hope to accomplish?_" asked Uiharu, with venom in her words. Her dark self laughed.

"_See, this is what needs to come out. Your wrath, pride, you very essence, and yet you kept it hidden under a selfless, civil serving idiot who has to rely on friends! It makes me sick._" Uiharu grew more and more angry.

"_So you think that it is worth becoming a monster to get unlimited power? Is that it? Or are you trying to say something meaningful, because as it stands, you are just PISSING ME OFF!_ " Her dark self glared at her.

"_You are too focused on what you might do to others. Its limiting your power, and you know it. Imagine if you let loose and allowed your power to flourish, imagine how you would feel._" She grinned, and got close to Uiharu. "_You would be powerful beyond all measure. You wouldn't need to fear the likes of Skill Out or other petty fools. You could smite them. And you would be protecting people. It's a 'win-win'."_

Uiharu tried to shake the logic; it was too selfish with a pretext with helping people, but in some way, it made sense. She could simply protect people by removing those who harmed. But she strained to stop continuing that thought, as it meant that she would be willingly to kill people. That isn't justice, its murder hidden protecting the weak.

"_You won't be my master, as you are nothing but my perverted ideals of powers. It's not true power, it's something more selfish and harmful. You won't break me due to my injuries, I shall get up and get better._" Uiharu then slumped on her bed.

"God do I feel terrible," she muttered, while the dark Uiharu then began looking out the window.

"_Why do you strive so hard to protect the world from yourself when the world is already fucked up?_" asked her dark self. "_You aren't doing it to be evil, you have all the right motives, yet you still hold back. Why force yourself to being weak? What are you afraid of, losing those close to you?_"

Uiharu remained silent, knowing that what her dark self had said was accurate. She feared losing her friends, hell even her family if she got too powerful. She glanced at her hand, seeing only a tool for destruction, and glances at dark Uiharu.

"_Your right. I fear loss, but that doesn't mean I should become too powerful, what could it do for me, other than suffering and pain for others?_" The dark Uiharu was annoyed with Uiharu's resistance.

"_Tsk. Tell yourself when you let your friends yet again Level One. Then say with confidence you don't need power. Oh wait, you desire to protect with no power, how naïve. Anyway, I am going, I can take only a limited amount of stupid navitity for a day._"

Uiharu looked out the window when her dark self left. It had begun to rain, and she felt the allure of sleep. She closed her eyes, hoping for some good news.

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

"Yomikawa-san, when are you going to be home, ask Misaka Misaka concerned." Yomikawa, an anti-skill agent, laughed at her 'daugther'. Being the legal guardian for two clones and the most powerful esper meant not even slows day were boring days.

"Last Order, I will be home soon, I need to finish collecting evidence, so go bother Accelerator."

"Alright, Misaka will bother Accelerator to get ice cream, announces Misaka Misaka!" Yomikawa closed her phone, knowing that when she got home it would be a loud night. She turned to her job.

She was investigating a lab being burnt to the ground. But according to a report filed from Judgment, it appeared that one of their people might've caught the place on fire.

"Argh, I just want to get home, drink sake, and sleep in," muttered Yomikawa. She went to the basement after the first floor had been cleared. She walked down and saw something that chilled her to the bone.

It was two skeletons, young men it appeared. She took a closer look before going on. She knew something was off when she looked at the rib cage of a skeleton, as the rib had a what looked like a bullet inflicted wound. She looked around, and found 4 shotgun shells.

"This isn't the work of Judgment," noted Yomikawa to herself. Judgment were about taking in people alive, not killing them. Thus Yomikawa seriously doubted that the officer of Judgment in question, Uiharu Kazari, was responsible for the lab being burnt, let alone killing these men.

She walked to the end of the corridor and saw three more bodies. She sighed, as two appeared to have been guarding the corridor when they were killed. She found shells on the ground, this time belonging to a pistol-caliber weapon. She looked at the two dead skeletons, and found that around them were shells as well. She entered the room behind the two and found the third.

He didn't appear to have been looking at the door. _What was so important to have his back turned to the door? _She looked in front of 'him'. She saw some steel boxes lined up on the wall. She opened the lid of one of them, and saw what appeared to be melted pills. She sighed. _So there was a drug operation here. But still, I would worry about my merchandise after I dealt with the threat. _ She turned back to the skeleton.

She looked at what was directly in front of him, and saw a pile of burnt wood. She looked closer. The pieces of wood seemed to fit together, as though… She shuddered, and called the hospital.

"This is Yomikawa with Anti-Skill; I need to talk to the doctor that attended to Uiharu Kazari." She only needed to wait a minute before the doctor answered.

"Hello, this is Dr. Marcoh, you want to know about Uiharu?" asked the doctor. Yomikawa clarified.

"I am wanting to know her injuries," stated Yomikawa. "I am thinking she might've been tortured." The doctor sighed.

"Alright, her injuries included a broken nose, 2 missing teeth, several bruises on the face, 3 broken ribs, she had bruises on her wrists, and other injuries that would be in line for a beating or torture. Well, that would explain one thing." Yomikawa turned around, confused by the doctor's last statement.

"That would explain what?" she asked. The doctor must've been checking around him, because it took a minute before he continued.

"One of the nurses overheard a conversation she was having with her friends, and after they left, she noted that Uiharu was talking to herself. Now, she claimed to having been drugged, but we couldn't find any toxins in her system…" Yomikawa stopped him.

"I found some drugs in the crate where she probably was tortured. Could the drug be fast acting and leave no trace?" The doctor sighed again.

"Maybe, but still, if it was fast acting, by the time she was talking to herself, she should've been cleaned. I am thinking PTSD. She would be a perfect candidate for it." Yomikawa sighed.

"Alright, thanks for your help. I'm going to finish my job at the scene and write my report." She hung up, and looked down at the chair's burnt pieces. Now she was going to have to investigate 5 murders, a lab burning, and possibly be forced to lay off a member of Judgment for having PTSD.

"Can this day get any worse?" muttered Yomikawa as the phone ranged. She check the caller ID, and saw it was Accelerator. "Why, yes it can."

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

**Author's Notes: **


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine: Downfall

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

Takeru was sitting at his computer, running some simulations on the effects of a drug that some company had asked him to make safe to sell onto the market as an esper booster. He took it not because he saw the point of leveling espers as useful but because the pay check was too good to refuse.

When his father died, he left the Kihara family, and began to free-lance. He still had a spot for medical science, but he refused to take part into his family's schemes.

He sighed, thinking about that girl Uiharu. Being given X1 against one's will, and well above the suggested dosage, he would be surprised if she didn't have some problems. And on top of that, she had been tortured, so she would have some serious problems.

He couldn't find a reason the family was interested with Uiharu, other than Aki was training her. He sighed. The family agreed to anything if it meant more power for them in the end, so this was probably just another try at power. But before he could reflect more on the situation, he heard a knock at the door.

"Who is it? Actually, on second though, scratch that. Get the hell away; I don't have time to deal with whatever bullshit you have." He turned around and was about to sit down when he heard the low buzz of electricity building up. He got away from the door when the door exploded into fragments.

Now on the ground, he saw his apartment was ruined, and that a brunette was walking in, with electricity flowing through her arms. _Misaka Mikoto, the rank 3 Level Five esper, _thought Takeru. He got up and began thinking of ways to fight her, but he needed to stall for time.

"So what does the little brat want?!" snarled Takeru. "You got some beef with me?" He knew that Misaka should have no reason to hate him, but sometimes angry enemies make for easier targets. He knew he didn't have time to form a decent double to fool her, nor would it work as she could target multiple targets. But he saw her smirk.

"No, I came to talk with someone you know about a last night," said Misaka. Takeru was sweating bullets now, if this Misaka thought he had anything to do with Uiharu being the way she was, he would have to fight for his life. He then saw someone step out from behind Misaka. He recognized her instantly, from his childhood.

"Hello Kihara Aki," muttered Takeru, annoyed that Aki went this far with the theactrics. "Did you really need to get the Railgun to blow down my door?" Aki shrugged.

"After seeing my friend Uiharu the way she is, I wasn't going to take chances," stated Aki. "And anyway, you and I have never, ever gotten along. I only tolerated you because of your father and my uncle." Aki grabbed Takeru by the wrist.

"We are going to talk somewhere more public," ordered Aki. "The sooner this is over, the better." Takeru chuckled.

"Then why is the Railgun here? Personal protection?" He laughed, much to the annoyance of Misaka.

"What, you doubt my power?" asked Misaka, but Takeru just glared at her.

"One, yes, I can deal with you in minutes if needed, and two, you owe me the payment to repair this apartment." Misaka began to redden in anger. But before she could refuse, Takeru began to follow Aki to the car. She followed, determined to hear this out.

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

They arrived at Joseph's, and they got a booth far from everyone else. Takeru began to play with his gloves.

"So what do you want to know Aki?" asked Takeru. "I doubt I can tell you much you don't already know." He saw a waiter coming and ordered water and a steak. He figured if his cousin was going to drag him out, blow his door apart, the least she could do was pay for a meal.

Aki looked frustrated. She expected more out of her bastard of a cousin, perhaps a fight, maybe some back stabbing. Yet here he was, acting quite petty. She rubbed her head.

"So what did you do to Uiharu last night?" began Aki. Takeru laughed.

"I gave her a serum to flush out the X1 drug, and took her to the hospital. That is all I did." He looked outside. "If you wanted information about what happened before, better ask someone else, for I don't know the details, other than she got beaten pretty badly." Misaka knew he was hiding something, so she grabbed his hand.

"If you don't tell us the whole truth, I will send enough voltage down into your arm so that you will be unable to move for five days. So tell us, what happened to Uiharu?!" Takeru quickly pulled back his hand before sighing.

"Look, I just treated her for the X1 dosage. If you really want any more information regarding Uiharu, deal with her tail." Aki looked up, about to burst in anger.

"What?! You are telling me Hound Dog is keeping tabs on Uiharu?" demanded Aki. Misaka was confused.

"What's Hound Dog?" she asked. "Are they something to be afraid of?" Takeru shrugged.

"Well, you dealt with them, as did Accelerator when people were being knocked over. That night was interesting," Takeru paused, wondering how long it took to cook a steak. "But Hound Dog is a black ops unit, one that my father was commander of, until.." Both he and Aki became quiet. Misaka figured by the silence that his father, Aki's uncle, was killed.

"So yeah, Hound Dog, while it takes orders from higher up, many of the cells are under the control of a Kihara in one way or another. If they are keeping tabs on Uiharu, then it means that the family is heavily interested in her." Takeru fiddled with a knife with Aki pressured him.

"So who in particular was watching Uiharu, and brought her to you?" This made Takeru pissed.

"Two guys, one named Katsu and the other Taiki. That is all I know. Now, are you done interrogating me, because I like to eat this steak and get back to my research." Misaka was pissed off with how Takeru only thought of himself, unlike a certain idiot that kept thinking of others.

"Why don't you care for anyone but yourself?!" began Misaka, and she ignored Aki's warnings. "Is all you can think of is your petty life?" Takeru got up, shaking in anger. He knew that this brat meant well, but she chose the wrong moment to piss him off.

He grabbed her by the throat, and began using his 'Mind scramble' to prevent her from shocking him.

"Now you listen here you fucking brat," began Takeru. "I unlike you didn't have a silver spoon to feed me. My father was a real bastard, and trained me to be a mean son of a bitch too. I left the Kiharas when their plans kept getting more absurd and radical. But I retained the ability to ignore human suffering, so if you really want to keep insulting me, I will END YOU FUCKING LIFE, RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW! Do I make myself clear you piece of trash?!"

Misaka was trembling. She only felt this terror once before, when she faced Accelerator after he killed on of her sisters. She felt her arms shaking out of control, and she fumbled to form words. But Takeru let her go, and left.

"Don't bother me again Ms. Misaka, or you will be in pain," he warned Misaka. Misaka sat down and looked at Aki, on the verges of tears.

"Are all the Kiharas that heartless?" she asked, trembling out of control. Aki shook her head.

"No, you just struck a nerve with him, and there are those who don't view human life as trash. But a lot of Kiharas have been corrupted. It's one reason why I didn't mention I was a Kihara." Misaka laid her head down, and began to cry.

Aki looked at her with sadness in her eyes. She knew that this wasn't going to get off Misaka's mind anytime soon, and began thinking of ways to finding the men responsible for bringing Uiharu to Takeru. She sighed, knowing that it would be a while before she could find them.

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

Uiharu woke up, her head hurting like hell. In the room she saw a blue haired lady. She recognized her as Yomikawa from Anti-Skill. She moaned, wondering what hell she will have to deal with.

"Hey Uiharu, how are you doing?" asked Yomikawa. She looked tired. Uiharu shrugged.

"I guess ok. So why are you here?" Yomikawa lowered her head, rubbing her hand down her kneck.

"I hate to do this, but as of now, you are on suspension from Judgment." Uiharu felt her hands clench into a fist, and she could see dark Uiharu behind Yomikawa, begging Uiharu to punch her. But she restrained herself.

"What for? I didn't set that lab on fire, so I have done nothing wrong," stated Uiharu. "So what reason could I be on suspension for?" Yomikawa chuckled.

"Well, the brass calls it medical leave, but in reality it's a suspension. Apparently, you have been talking to yourself, and one of the nurses here heard you. Thus the doctor is saying you have PTSD and as of now the brass higher up is deciding to use that as a prxy to suspend you."

Uiharu wanted to strangle dark Uiharu. _How the hell didn't I realize I was talking to myself? And damn you fucking bitch, now I am forced to be a nobody. _But Uiharu composed herself.

"So what does this mean for me?" she asked. Yomikawa shrugged.

"I guess it means that you aren't going to be working on cases anymore, and you have to meet up with me for 'technical reasons'," Yomikawa paused. "Look, I know you didn't set that lab on fire, and I know for shit you didn't kill those men at the lab."

Uiharu paled. Were people dead because of her? She was about to cry, but then she remembered how those people treated her, like she was some toy. No people treasure toys, more like… trash. She tried not to smile at this news, so she kept her head down.

"Wait, people died in the fire?" asked Uiharu. Yomikawa shook her head.

"Look, the higher up still think you're a suspect, but I know differently. Those men, they were shot and killed, and defiantly not by some gang. It was a professional job, and yet you were spared." Yomikawa looked out the window.

"Well, I got to get going; I guess I will see you in one week from now." She left, leaving Uiharu to deal with dark Uiharu. Dark Uiharu sat in the chair that was occupied by Yomikawa.

_"Good, those bastards paid for what they did to you," _smirked dark Uiharu. _"Now how are you feeling?"_ Uiharu panicked, realizing that she was actually relieved to hear those men had died. She was supposed to detest human death, but here she was, actually glad to know they were dead.

_"I know I shouldn't be ok with the thought of people dying, but those men…" _Dark Uiharu laughed.

_"Those men? They were fucking trash for torturing you. These deserved far worse, trust me." _ Dark Uiharu and got close to Uiharu's face. _"But now you have no responsibility to protecting people, so why not gain power for yourself?" _

Uiharu sighed, knowing it was going back to this. But her dark self did have a valid point; she was a member of Judgment, so she didn't need to waste time on small time cases. She could use that time to train herself, to Level up. But she was in pain, her bruises still providing a sore reminder of her pain. Dark Uiharu chuckled.

_"What, going to let a few bruises get you down? Man, you are weak!" _Uiharu forced herself up, but then she felt all the air rush out of her. She winced in pain again. She looked at her dark self.

_"Fuck you, it feels like I broke some ribs. So please leave me be until I get out of the hospital," _Uiharu paused. _"And anyway, I don't have to listen to your smart ass all day. I will have time to train after I get out." _

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

Katsu and Taiki were sweating bullets inside the van. After listening to Uiharu's chat with some person from Anti-Skill, they realized that the fire didn't completely remove the evidence of what they did and what more, they 'intervention' cost Uiharu her position at Judgment, something that the family wasn't going to be pleased with.

"Shit, what are we going to do?" muttered Katsu. "It's too late to remove the bones, and if we make the wrong move, we could end up eating a lot of shit with no support." Taiki at this point face palmed himself. This day wasn't going to go away easily.

He thought of two options. The first involved killing the Anti-Skill woman, and then use that time to arrange for exfiltration with the family's help. The second was just bailing and making a run to some country with non-extradition treaties. _If we didn't kill those Skill-Out Punks…_ he paused, coming up with a better third option; one that got Anti-Skill off their tail, one that removed them from the crime, and one which was self-cleaning, since they had an ace up their sleeve.

He got onto the phone, and called up a mole in Skill Out. While he was some nameless punk, he owed Taiki a favor, and he was going to call it in.

"Who is this?" asked the mole. Taiki laughed.

"It's me dipshit," said Taiki, and before the mole could begin to sputter like an idiot, Taiki continued. "I am calling in my favor, alright." That shut the mole up long enough to get his plan into action.

"Alright, I want you to get rid of someone, and with some hardware I have," began Taiki. "You are to eliminate some nosy ass bitch from Anti-Skill and pin the crew as having been responsible for the lab fire that occurred last night." The mole began to stutter.

"B-b-but I can't, if I get caught, I won't be able to get out of jail ever." Taiki sighed.

"Not my problem, but if you want some guarantee, you don't actually have to kill the bitch, just convinced your gang that the gang at the lab was making a deal with Anti-Skill behind their back and that you need to remove the woman as fast as possible." Taiki took a sip of water to moisten his throat. "If your gang dies, try pleading and take the fall for the lab, with some incriminating evidence on Skill-Out to suggest it was an inside job. We will send in a lawyer to get you the minimum sentence for 'cooperating' with Anti-skill, blah, blah, blah. Just do you damn job and either you get a promotion within Skill Out, or you get a comfy cell, free from any attempts on your life." He hung up, and began rubbing his forehead. Katsu looked at him.

"You really think that is going to work? Having Skill-Out assassinate Yomikawa of Anti-Skill, you must be pretty desperate to play that card." Taiki laughed.

"I don't expect Skill-Out to kill her, rather, I hope that they get themselves killed and my mole gets captured, spills 'the beans' on Skill Out, and we get out of the radar." Katsu sighed.

"What makes you certain that Skill-Out will fail? If they bring enough guys on her, and they corner her, it's going to be a disaster." Taiki chuckled.

"You think the guardian of the number one Level Five esper and two Misaka clones is going to die? Not a chance in hell her 'family'." The two began to laugh, reveling in the glory of Taiki's plan.

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

**Author's note: Finally got this chapter done. I had to take a break to figure out how I was going to get the story along the path I wanted. But thanks to you guys, you gave me some ideas, and got me going again. **

**Now it will be time to see how things go for Uiharu, as she slowly gives in to her dark-self and the others deal with shit of their own. **


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten: It's a firefight!

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

Taiki and Katsu were in their van, this time keeping tabs on Yomikawa. They got permission to pursue their cover up operation, and thus a new team was assigned to watch over Uiharu. Katsu was finally relaxing, the first time in a long time.

"This beats watching over that brat any day," muttered Katsu. "This will be a stroll in the park. Your mole and his crew go after the bitch, either she dies or he folds, and we get our name cleared." Taiki wasn't so optimistic, despite being the one to come up with the plan. He felt something was wrong, but couldn't put his finger on it.

They saw the mole come up to the van. Taiki opened the back, and started handing out the weapons. He looked at the mole.

"Look, either kill the bitch or make sure you take the fall for the lab. If this goes down any other way, I promise you, I will make sure you are buried!" The mole nodded, and started handing out the gear to Skill-Out members. They were looking quite pleased, probably because they were going to get rid of a bitch that has been a thorn in their side.

"I got it, nothing will go wrong," stated the mole. "She will be dead before anything happens. Now where is she?" Taiki pointed to the computer monitor. It showed a red dot moving.

"She is there, moving parallel to the railway station. At that speed, she is on foot. But we intercepted a call; she apparently is heading to a diner near here. Kill her before she gets there." The mole nodded and his men got into their cars and sped off. Taiki sighed.

"What's wrong Taiki, something not going to plan?" Katsu was working looking at the tracking monitor, but he heard a sense of urgency in Taiki's voice. Taiki sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

"The fucking devil is at the diner, with the two Misaka clones. Apparently they are having a 'family' dinner there. So if Yomikawa gets to the diner, it isn't going to make a damn difference if my mole gives up; he will likely shit himself and rat us out." Katsu whistled.

"Shit. So why did we hatch this plan?" Taiki groaned.

"Because when I came up with it, I forgot how sadistic the devil could be. Also, it's the only chance in hell we got with not being thrown out like trash." Katsu nodded gravely, and kept monitoring the tracker.

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

Yomikawa was walking along the train yard, sighing at the place. Here was where Accelerator was beaten, and forced to face reality. And it was shortly afterwards when he met Last Order, and went far enough as to take a bullet for her. Yomikawa sighed once more, and kept walking to the diner. She was certain that Accelerator was causing a scene, trying to keep Misaka Worst off of him and dealing with Last Order.

She was about to cross the street when three cars began racing to her. She could see through the window of the first car a man readying a sub machine gun.

"Son of a bitch!" yelled Yomikawa as she jumped off the side walk and into the train yard. She saw the men take position on the edge, and began firing at her. She felt a bullet rip through her arm. She screamed in pain, the wound burning and causing her entrie arm to go numb.

But thankfully, she was able to get behind a rail car, and began hiding. She peered below the car to see the men organizing themselves into teams, and she saw about three groups coming into the yard, and one maintaining the high ground.

She cursed her luck. She was off duty, which meant she wasn't armed, she couldn't call for back up, and she had a open wound. Thankfully, it didn't hit a vital area, but it made her right arm useless. She grabbed her cell phone; she regretted having to make this call. She hit one to speed dial her only hope of living. She heard the phone ring onces.

"Gah! Last Order, I am trying to answer my phone, now get-off-my-LAP!" screamed Accelerator. "Yes Yomikawa, what is it?" She was about to answer when one of the groups fired just above her head, the shot made a loud racket as it bounced off the railway car. She heard him sigh.

"Tsk, are you seriously in a firefight?" asked Accelerator. Yomikawa was running now, trying to get the men to lose sight of her.

"Yes Accelerator! Now get your ass down here and take care of these assholes!" He heard Accelerator chuckle.

"I am sorry, I thought Anti-Skill didn't need 'vilgilantes' running around being hero." Yomikawa swore for a length, certain that even Accelerator was blushing at her torrent of swearing.

"I don't care about that right now, I just need some fucking help, and I need it by someone who doesn't give shit number one about procedure! Get your ass down her, or so help me God, I will BITCH SMACK YOUR ASS!" She heard Accelerator chuckled.

"Alright, I will be down with Worst to help out. But you are going to have to apologize to Last Order for ruining the dinner tonight." Yomikawa laughed. _Uncaring my ass._ She nodded.

"Fine, I am at the railway yard, how fast can you be here?" she heard Accelerator getting up, and Worst laughing, which was enough to make even veteran soldiers' spine chill to the core.

"Be there in about 10 minutes, hide until then." Yomikawa hung up her phone, and found a railway car that didn't have holes in it. She got in, and locked herself in. She heard a group walk past her car.

"Where did that bitch go?!" yelled one of the men.

"How the hell should I know? Look for blood; I heard that one of the guys at top hit her. So she is probably bleeding right now." Then they dispersed, which allowed Yomikawa to breathe a little easier. She looked at her phone. _Shit, now I got to kill 10 minutes until Accelerator and Worst shows up. _

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

Taiki just listened to the conversation and paled. He slammed his fist onto the wall.

"Damn it!" cursed Taiki, with Katsu looking up from the equipment. "The damn devil and one of the clones is coming here!" Katsu began to sweat bullets.

"What shall we do?" asked Katsu, with him quickly looking at the cabinet. Taiki sighed.

"The best thing we can do is inform the mole that trouble is inbound, or get him to kill Yomikawa now. Where is that bitch?" Katsu shrugged.

"Of all the places to ambush her, the Skill-Out Punks couldn't have picked a harder place to find her with the tracker. The tracker is in her phone, but in order to avoid detection, it needed to be small and emit a weak frequency. As a result, she could be in any of the rail cars and the signal is now too weak to pick up." Taiki swore, his fist clenching up.

"Well shit, I can't just tell them to run, it would ruin the whole covering for us bit. But if they fight Accelerator, he won't hold back, and I doubt that the clone will either. So how do I get the mole to live long enough without him running for it and ruining this entire op?" Katsu paused, trying to figure it out. He then had an idea.

"The best I can think to do would be to put the stupid clone into a position that Accelerator would be forced to stop fighting to help her. Then we ensure the mole runs away, with Yomikawa getting a good look at him. That way she pursues him without pursuing us." Taiki considered this idea.

"Alright, but how do we injure the clone?" asked Taiki, and when he saw what Katsu had in his hand, he smiled.

"Those will do nicely," he said, and ranged up his mole.

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

Accelerator and Misaka Worst were now just outside the railway yard, and saw a group of four men overlooking the yard. Worst smiled.

"This is going to be easy. Now what can Misaka do to help Accelerator?" she asked, smirking at the idea of fighting with Accelerator. But Accelerator merely flicked his chocker on.

"I will take care of the men up here quickly, and you try and find Yomikawa," He paused, and looked at Worst. "Also, if you run into anyone, fry the living hell out of them." Worst giggled, happy about testing her abilities on some punks.

"Alright, but when this is over, Misaka expects a little something something from you," she said, while touching Accelerator's forehead. "And don't think I will forget it by the time the fighting's over." Accelerator sighed, annoyed with Worst hitting on him. But she needed to get going so he agreed.

"Fine you brat, just get Yomikawa out of here and most likely to the apartment. I got idiots to deal with." He left Worst as she ran into the railyard. He approached the guys overlooking the yard. One of them turned around and saw him.

"Oh look, it's some fucking cripple. Look pal, turn around and get the fuck out of here," the guy told Accelerator. Accelerator ignored him and kept moving. The man spoke again.

"Last warning pal, get the hell out of here or I will blow your brains out!" Accelerator laughed.

"Who do you think you are talking to, third rater? I am the number one of this city, and if you think that me using a crutch is going to keep me from ripping you limb from limb, then let me tell you, you are dead fucking WRONG!"

Before the men could fire, Accelerator stomped on the ground, and caused the earth to rupture underneath the men. They fell over, most dropping their weapons. Accelerator then pushed forward and grabs the first man, throwing him into the parker cars. He slumped over, dead on the impact.

Another man picked up his Street-Sweeper, and began to unload into Accelerator. But Accelerator merely redirects the bullets into him, killing him instantly.

"What the hell are you?!" yelled the third man as he swung a knife at Accelerator's face. His hand shatters due to Accelerator redirecting the knife, and he crumples onto the ground, shrieking in pain. Accelerator looks at the fourth man, and begins to laugh.

"What are you going to do now? I can redirect bullets, your thrusts, I can throw you around like a rag doll, and I can control the wind at my whims. So what the hell are you going to do?" The man is shaking, but he pulls out a grenade and throws it at Accelerator, only for it to bounce back to him. Accelerator sighed.

"How predictable how this is going to end." The man screams as the grenade detonates, ending his life. Accelerator however remains unmoved. "Alright, time to get down and help out Worst. I hope that brat isn't doing anything stupid."

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

Misaka Worst got onto the ground, and began looking for any electric signals from Yomikawa's phone, but due to the vast amount of iron in the rail yard, she couldn't pick it up. Worst then runs into the rail yard, thinking of the fun she will have with Accelerator later tonight.

_I am so naughty, but I deserve something for doing this. Maybe I will have him massage me, no sleep with me! That will serve that lolicon, and be a slap to Last Order. Killing two birds with one stone, how great it will be! _

She past a railcar and saw a group of eight men, all with gun. She laughed.

"Would you men like to entertain Misaka? Misaka gets so lonely, with my boyfriend not paying any attention to me." The men smirked, and one of them approached, and grabbed her ass.

"Why, aren't you a naughty one?" he said, lowering his gun. "How about I take you home tonight?" She smirks, and grabs his throat.

"I didn't say you could touch Misaka's ass, now did I?" she said. She sent a current through the man, killing him. The others backed up.

"Shit, she is an electromaster! Men, just kill her!" yelled the group leader. Worst laughed.

"Aww, did you guys lose interest?" Worst then sent a current along the railroad tracks, electrocuting another three men instantly. "And here I thought you guys would like my company. Maybe I can have fun frying your pathetic lives!" The other four men than ran off, throwing grenades at her.

She throws them aside with her magnetic control. She smiles.

"C'mon, lets have fun!" she yells, while throwing bolts of lighting at the men. "I promise it will be fun, fun for me at least!" She then magnetized the iron in the ground to form a sword. She begins to pursue the men. They ran past several railway cars, but Worst felt something was off. It was like they were waiting for her to come, and to follow them…

Before she could react, a railway car exploded into flames. She barely avoided the explosion, but she felt some metal shards enter her. She was now pissed.

"You fucking cowards! Come out and fight fair!" she snarled, sending electric currents throughout the rail yard. "I will find you and I will end your fucking lives!" She was about to turn the corner when on top of a railcar was a guy with a grenade launcher.

"You have got to be joking!" she yelled, immediately running away from the shells. They were exploding behind her, sending bits of metal and earth into the air. She felt them getting more and more close to her. _Shit, I am so pissed off now! Why can't I just stop these fuckers?! _

She finally got behind a railcar, and sighed. She looked behind her, with the men now spacing themselves apart and planting motion mines. She swore to herself, realizing that they were trapping her, surrounding her with explosives. She got up and poped out, sending a shock at one of the men, killing him instantly. The other men opened fire, and one of them nicked her in the shoulder.

She swore, falling to the ground. It stung like hell, with it being the same arm Accelerator broke when they first met. She tried to get up, but the men began firing on her, pinning her down. She knew she was stuck unless Accelerator got here and saved her. _Damn it, no midnight special with him tonight. _

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

Accelerator heard the explosions, and rushed to find that Worst had been trapped into a corner. He jumped down behind the men, who were surprised by him.

"Oi, what the hell you think you are doing?!" demanded Accelerator, and was greeted by a wave of bullets and grenades. He reflected the bullets back into the skulls of the men, and sent the grenades flying into the air. He then walked up to Worst, who had a bullet in your shoulder.

"Fucking brat, what happened?" asked Accelerator, though he knew what happened. But Misaka Worst was in tears, and obviously in pain.

"Misaka tried to take down eight men, but was surprised when the laid down mines and bombs." She was shaking, and the tears rolled down her cheeks. Accelerator wanted to rip apart the men, but now they were dead. He looked at Worst.

"Lets find Yomikawa and get out of here. I will look at your arm when we are home brat," he said, and he ranged Tomikawa. She picked up.

"Accelerator, are the assholes dealt with?" she said. "I heard plenty of gunfire and explosions." Accelerator nodded.

"Yeah, now come out so we can get the hell out of here. I am willingly to bet Last Order will be out of her mind when we get back." He saw Yomikawa get out of a rail car ahead of him. She walked up to them.

"Thanks," she said, and then she saw Worst's wounds. "Damn it, I hope you got the bastard who did this." Accelerator nodded, which was when he saw a man crawling towards them. Accelerator motioned for Worst and Yomikawa to get out of here.

"Who the hell sent you?" hissed Accelerator to the man. The man laughed.

"Does it matter, because you all will be dead soon," the man kept laughing. "And I will be rewarded for my efforts!" Accelerator looked that man, and sighed.

"You really think you can kill me? I could stop a nuclear bomb from killing me!" The man ignored this.

"I was told that you have trouble in low oxygen environments. So I thought, where was the best place to lure you to? Why, how about the rail car with a shit ton of combustible material?!" He placed his hand on the detonator. Accelerator was about to crush the man when he heard his chocker die out. He cursed himself.

"Any last words?" asked the man as he pushed the button. Accelerator closed his eyes, expecting himself to be enveloped in flames, only to not feel anything. He opened his eyes, to see the man frantically pushing the button over and over again.

"Why is this thing not working?!" he yelled, to which both heard Worst laughing.

"You really think I am going to let you blow up my boy toy up?! That detonator works on an electric signal being sent to the bomb, and since I can control electricity, I wasn't hard to interfere with the bomb!" The man began to stumble up, only for Worst to shock him.

Accelerator grabbed the man by the chin. He glared into the man's eyes.

"Who the hell sent you?" asked Accelerator. "And if I think you are lying, I am going to have Worst here keeping shocking your ass until you tell the truth!" The man was shaking now, and on the verge of collapsing.

"Ok ok, I will talk! We were sent to kill the blue hair woman for our bosses!" Accelerator looked at him and released him.

"Liar. Worst, give the man his prize!" Worst smiled, now enjoying herself again. She shocked the guy for ten seconds, and all the while he was screaming. "Now, are you going to tell the truth?" The man panicked.

"L-l-look, I was told to by an old accquitence! His name was.." The mole was about to talk when he heard a voice hiss in his ear.

"Fucking dipshit! Now you die!" yelled Taiki into the earpiece. Before anyone could intervene, the mole felt his head explode, as the ear piece had an explosive gel in it. Accelerator, Worst, and Yomikawa were all disgusted.

"That is by far the most fucked up way to die," muttered Yomikawa. Worst nodded. Accelerator sighed.

"Damn shame we didn't get a name, but at least they were dealt with," he said. "Let just get home, and let Anti-Skill deal with the bull shit. I know for sure that Last Order is going to be a handful the next couple of days." The other two nodded, and they went home, tired with how the night went.

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

Taiki was in the van, fuming. Now his mole was dead, the plan failed, and worst yet, Yomikawa would be looking harder than ever to find them. But Katsu seemed quite calmed. Taiki stared at him.

"Why aren't you preparing to run?" asked Taiki. Katsu whistled.

"Well, he was your mole, not mine. You interacted with him, not me. For all we care, I wasn't involved, only you." Taiki paused, unsure at what Katsu was getting at.

"So I got ahold of command while you were busy with ordering your mole and eventually blowing his brains out, and got them to agree to a simple plan I have," He looked at Taiki, who was wide-eyed. Katsu slammed a needle into Taiki, and injected into him a fast acting poison he saw Taiki become stiff from the paralytic in the poison, and in a minute he was dead. Katsu sighed.

"Sorry buddy, it was just business. At least this way I can keep tabs on Uiharu, and get Yomikawa off my back. But if it makes you feel any better, I now know why the family is interested in the girl. And boy, to say it will be worth it, all these failures, all these detours, is a understatement." Katsu drove to the planned dump site, and handed Taiki's body to the men there.

The men put him into the building, and while Katsu drove off, Anti-Skill had the building surrounded, and they entered it, finding Taiki's body. By an hour, Katsu saw the fruits of his labor; Taiki had been blamed as the mastermind for the attempt of Yomikawa and the lab burning, and he was now in the van, watching over Uiharu's room, making sure nothing interfered with his plans again.

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

**Author's notes: Wow, this one was a little longer. Sorry for no Uiharu this chapter, but to make an interesting sequence that dealt with the cliffhanger I made in the last chapter, it was nessacary. But now we can get back to Uiharu. Anyway, favorite, review, and follow as always.**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: A New Day

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

Uiharu was in her dorm, finally being released from the hospital after a week of being admitted. She was tired and looking out the window bleak fully. In that time, a lot had happened.

She was still on 'medical leave' from Judgment, but that was just the tip of the iceberg. Turned out that while she was in the hospital, Yomikawa had been targeted by the man named Taiki, who was later found dead after his men failed to kill Yomikawa. Taiki apparently was one of the men responsible for burning the lab down, which surprised Uiharu that the guy responsible would be found dead so soon.

Then it turned out Aki and Misaka were looking into who got her out of the lab. They claimed it was Taiki and some other man named Katsu. This only served to confuse Uiharu, as why would he save her and then later go to kill Yomikawa. But they claimed they got it from 'a reliable source', which Uiharu noticed made Misaka nervous.

And then after all of this, she was informed that she couldn't partake 'officially' in Tokiwodai's training program. This was due to the whole lab burning down event, but after Yomikawa and Kuroko stood up for her, claiming she was innocent of any wrong doing, the principal allowed Aki to train Uiharu in private.

Uiharu sighed and got out a notebook and began reading it. It was from Aki, who wanted her to study in her down time so that the training would go by faster. The notebook outlined the current limits of 'Wavelength modification', which was similar to Uiharu's 'thermal hand'.

Uiharu saw that the notebook noted that while the two had similar underlying properties, Thermal hand was strictly involved with heat with wavelength also affected various other things, most notably sound. Thus to get a good idea of what Uiharu should be able to do, Aki made some basic assumptions, and assumed that Uiharu would be more able to modify heat than Aki could.

Uiharu was busy reading a thing about how one could determine the wavelength of an object when she heard a knock at the door.

"Come in," said Uiharu, not taking her eyes off the notebook, but she knew who was here, as they discussed earlier.

"So how goes the studying?" asked Aki. "I hope it is helping." Uiharu nodded, and turned to Aki.

"It is helping, but it is kind of depressing at the same time, knowing what you could do but being unable to test it for now," she sighed. "So what are we going to be doing today?" Aki chuckled.

"Well, I want to see what you can do now, so I brought some things," She laid out a series of small objects, all small and seemingly useless. "I want to see what you can melt or burn with your ability. I know their melting slash ignition point, so this will be a good test to see what you can do. Plus you have the System Scan tomorrow." Uiharu sighed at the news. While not in pain anymore, she did feel a bit tender still.

"Alright, buts lets go somewhere else, I don't want to set off the smoke detectors," stated Uiharu. "I don't want to deal with Judgment at the moment." She felt her fist clench in anger, as the thought of Judgment angered her. _Kuroko, just because you spoke for me to allow to continue training with Aki doesn't free you of you doubting me. _

They went to the park, and Aki placed the first object on the pavement, about 7 meters away from Uiharu. It was a bottle of water. Uiharu chuckled.

"Child's play," Uiharu stated, and she thought of super boiling the water. In mere moments, the water boiled over and a few second more evaporated. Aki then placed a wad of paper. Uiharu ignited the paper, and the ash was lifted by a passing wind. "C'mon Aki, try me!"

Aki, glad to see Uiharu active again, decided to try her. She placed a piece of lead in front of her. Uiharu focused herself, and after a couple of seconds started to melt the lead. In a minute, the lead had been completely melted and was running loosely on the pavement. Uiharu felt impressed.

"Hah, now I can melt iron!" she noted. "C'mon, what else have you got?" Aki began to notice a new trend with Uiharu; she was more aggressive, more assertive, and a bit more reckless. She paused, wondering if it was just because this was the first thing of any major accomplishment for Uiharu in a while. But she decided to hold her judgment of Uiharu for later.

Aki then placed a piece of aluminum in front of Uiharu. Uiharu gasped; aluminum was lightweight and able to withstand a substantial amount of heat. So she focused, energizing the air around the aluminum to increase the air temperature. It took a minute, but she finally began to melt the aluminum. But as soon as Uiharu managed to start the metal, she began to feel tired.

"_What the hell is going on? I shouldn't be tired; I mean how hot am I getting the air? I thought I be good for several more test, damn it, WHY I AM FALTERING?!" _Uiharu then looked up to see dark Uiharu, almost mocking her. Her dark-self was peering at the aluminum.

"_Wow, pretty good, melting aluminum. But it's not as impressive as melting iron, or melting a diamond. So why are you taking these baby steps. Melt that aluminum NOW!" _

Uiharu lost control, and before she realized what she had down, she actually began to ignite the grass around where she was working. Frantically, she cooled the air around the burning grass, and was able to prevent the park from catching fire. She collapsed shortly afterwords, short of breath. Aki knelt next to Uiharu, after making sure she wouldn't get burned.

"Uiharu, why did you lose control?" Aki asked. "If you want to become a Level Three, you need to gain control of your ability. Obviously, you have the power to become Level Three, yet you lack the control to do so." Uiharu shrugged.

"I-I, look. After all that happened at the lab, I have begun visualizing a darker me," began Uiharu, trembling as she talked. "She looks like me, sounds like me, but she is like a twisted personality of mine. I don't know how to keep her out of my mind." Aki saw that Uiharu wasn't lying, and she sighed. _Split personality syndrome, why you Uiharu, why are you having this problem? _

She held Uiharu's hand. "Look, X1 has a side effect of altering your mind. That on top of the torture you endured probably caused the second Uiharu to crop up. I suppose that when you get a steady holding on your life again, the other Uiharu will go away."

But Aki was lying through her teeth; SPS was a rare problem in esper development. It occurred when the mind was struggling to control the personal reality, sort of a disconnected between the mind. But it was rare enough that there were no studies looking into how to get rid of it. Most of the time, the personality that cropped up tended to overtake the original, just like with… Accelerator.

Aki shuttered at the thought of Uiharu becoming anything like Accelerator. Aki remembered when they used to train together, until they got to Level Four. Then Accelerator was diagnosed with SPS, and he became something far more destructive and power hungry. Aki felt the pain in her ribs coming back, reminding her of her failure to defeat the corrupted personality of Accelerator.

But she looked at Uiharu, who was actually resisting her dark-self, and she smiled.

"Don't worry Uiharu, let get out of here, and just relax. It's probably a bit much to have you pushing yourself today." She pulled Uiharu up off the ground. "How about we hang out at with Misaka, Saten, and Kuroko?" Aki then saw Uiharu clenching her fist, annoyed at the mention of Kuroko.

"Fine, but I rather not talk with Kuroko if possible," stated Uiharu. "I-I haven't forgotten that it was her word that got me suspected by Judgment for the lab burning. I can't forgive her just yet." Uiharu then walked off, certain of where they were going to go to hang out, leaving Aki to pale quietly at the slowly changing Uiharu.

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

Katsu was in the van, chuckling as he overheard Uiharu talking to Aki about her mind.

"Oh, a prime candidate for SPS," he muttered. "What a fun person you are to listen to now Uiharu." He laughed, much to the annoyance of his newest partner, Romanov.

"Would you shut it?" asked Romanov. "I am trying to determine the likely development path of Uihrau." Romanov was a Russian Esper development specialist, but he came to Academy city for two reasons; the first was that Russia was heavily religious, and thus saw espers as a foreign and unknown threat, and second, he needed money to conduct his research. Unlike Katsu who was with Hound Dog though, Romanov got his pay check from a lab that was run by the Kiharas.

"Oh, my, what fun. Tell me Romanov, what does that little computer say for what Uiharu is going to be capable of when she gets to, say, Level 3?" asked Katsu. Romanov sighed.

"Right now, the computer model only has the predication for peak Level 2, not peak Level 3. So here we go," stated Romanov. "Currently, the model suggest being able to manipulate the air around her in a 8 meter radius, increase the temperature of the air and the object to about thirteen hundred kelvin, and reduce the temperature down to two-hundred kelvin." Katsu shrugged it off.

"What does that mean for what she can do though? The radius affection, I get, its simple math, but Kelvin? Most people use Celsius, not kelvin." Romanov sighed, annoyed at Katsu air of superiority.

"Look, I will tell you the rough value of those numbers. At two-hundred kelvin, it would be negative seventy-one degrees, about the coldest temperatures experienced in an inhabited area. At thirteen hundred kelvin, that is about the average heat of a lava flow. So in a fight, she could seriously kill anyone who isn't prepared to deal with her and decide to get in close."

Katsu paused, shocked to hear that the Level 2 was already in a prime condition to do some serious damage. He looked at Romanov.

"So how long until your computer figures out the limit of her ability, the dread Level 5?" asked Katsu, now interested in seeing how Uiharu will fit into the Kihara's plans. Romanov laughed.

"The problem isn't the computer; the problem is knowing how far she is willingly to go. My guess, she will peak at Level 3 with her current personality," Romanov handed Katsu a psyche report on Uiharu. "She is too helpful to others at the moment, and thus I don't see the potential to get beyond Level 3, not with her naïve attitude and moral high ground."

Katsu read the report, and while tailing Uiharu and Aki to their destination, he began to think about the implications of Uiharu's personality and her ability. He thought about what Uiharu said about her 'dark-self'. _She looks like me, sounds like me, but she is like a twisted personality of mine. _Katsu had a nagging feeling, and when they got to their observation point, he brought up his idea to Romanov.

"Say," he began. "What if Uiharu had a different personality?" Romanov looked at Katsu, intrigued at what he was suggesting.

"What kind of personality are we talking about?" asked Romanov. Katsu chuckled.

"What if she had a power-hungry personality, like Accelerator?" He saw Romanov thinking, making quick mental calculations. He then saw a wicked grin from Romanov.

"I think you found the one personality that would ensure Uiharu is able to get to Level 5. But what makes you suspect she is going to have a personality shift?" Katsu gave Romanov a dirty look.

"Look, I might not focus on developing espers, but I know a bit about the human mind, and I am betting Uiharu has SPS." He saw Romanov's eyes lit up.

"My, if she does, than we could easily, no, we wouldn't just be able to get her to agree, but she would do it voluntarily!" Romanov laughed. "I will set the computer to run simulations to observe Uiharu's ability and match it with an equivalent personal reality with that of Accelerator. It's going to be the closest thing we are going to get to a predication to her Level Five abilities. But every time she goes up in Level, it will make a new model and get us a more reliable model. So, let see if Miss Kazari has anything to tell us now." Both Romanov and Katsu were busy listening to their target.

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

Aki and Uiharu arrived at the diner, and saw Misaka, Saten, and Kuroko at a booth. Misaka waved them over.

"Hi Uiharu, it has been awhile!" noted Misaka as Uiharu sat down next to Saten. "So how are you feeling?"

Uiharu shrugged, unsure what to tell her. Should she bring up the whole 'another personality' issue, or leave it at what they can see? She decided on the course of digression, only Aki needed to know what was going on, as she was the one training Uiharu.

"Not too bad," began Uiharu. "It got boring at the hospital, but I got released and began to study and train with Aki. We actually got back from a training session." Misaka and Saten nodded, while Kuroko remained quiet as ever.

"So you think the odds of you Leveling up?" asked Saten. "I know that a month ago I had become a Level One, but Kongou is optimistic about me becoming a Level Two with the progress I've made." She smiled, trying to keep the mood cheerful.

Uiharu was playing with her glass of water, noting how the ice cube began to melt but she was able to retain the water temperature. It gave her a sense of power, being able to affect what she wanted and in what fashion she wanted.

"Well, I am not sure. I think Aki would be a better judge of my abilities, as she is the one training me," said Uiharu, almost defensively. "But I think I would be a Level Two by now." She smirked, thinking how it be nice to be a Level 3, or even Level 5. _People would respect me, and give me a wide berth, and I would be equal to Misaka, and better than Kuroko._ She noticed her last thought. _Better than Kuroko, really? Damn it, leave me be you bitch, I am trying to talk to my friends. _

Thankfully, no one seemed to notice her behavior. Saten was talking about her ability.

"Kongou is quite impressed by my ability. She says it's becoming something other than Aero hand, but she isn't sure what it will be quite yet." Saten was smiling when finally Kuroko decided to speak.

"Why do you idolize her?" asked Kuroko to Saten. "I find Kongou to be quite annoying and full of herself." Saten looks down, now being a bit more timid. Uiharu looks at Kuroko with a venomous glare.

"Why must you always make others feel shitty about themselves?" asked Uiharu, much to Kuroko's surprise.

"What do you mean Uiharu?" asked Kuroko, twirling her hair with her finger. "I was merely making my opinion heard." Uiharu laughed.

"Yeah, you 'opinion' is _always _so helpful. Oh wait, you got me kicked off of Judgment!" snarled Uiharu. Aki and Misaka both looked at each, panicked at Uiharu's aggressive tone. But Kuroko didn't seem to notice their fears, as she got up.

"I was doing my job, nothing more! Look Uiharu, it wasn't personal.." before Kuroko could finished, Uiharu got up and glared at Kuroko.

"I honestly don't care about you Kuroko," began Uiharu. "And to be further honest, I have thought of you as a selfish control freak! Do you seem to realize that the world doesn't revolve around you?" Kuroko was about to speak up, but Uiharu cut her off.

"You seem to think Misaka is girlfriend or whatever you see her as. But she doesn't think of you as that. She see you as a friend, but I wonder why she puts up with your bullshit.."

Finally, Misaka intervened. She grabbed Uiharu's arm, and shocked her out. Misaka was trembling; disturbed to see Uiharu acting like this. She looked at Aki, while Kuroko looked down, feeling like shit for how Uiharu spoke to her.

"Aki, what the hell is going on with Uiharu?" asked Misaka. "I have never seen her like this. So please, Aki, if you know of anything, please tell us now." Aki looked at Uiharu, and began having flashbacks to her past.

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

_ Aki was walking to the training room, and saw her friend, a white hair albino boy. She waved to him. _

_ "Hello, how are you doing today?" she asked. But she noticed that her friend was quiet. She went up to him. "Is everything ok?" The boy looked at her with his red eyes._

_ "No, not really, but what else is there for me to do? I try and keeping trying, but now, I-I have this obbession with becoming a Level Five." Aki shrugged._

_ "Don't all espers desire to be Level Five though?" she asked. The boy glared at her._

_ "Tsk, yes, but most lack the willpower to become one. But your uncle has begun a new regiment with me. He says it's to enhance my personality reality. But ever since then.." he shook himself, as if trying to shake off something. "I feel like there is someone else in my head, telling me that anything is worth doing if it means ultimate power."_

_ Aki tried to get close to him, but he shrugged her off._

_ "I will be fine," he said. "Don't worry, I won't change." But Aki notice that he didn't smile at her, he remained solemn and isolated._

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

"Aki, is everything alright?" asked Misaka. Aki snapped back to reality. Uiharu was still out cold from Misaka stunning her, and both Saten and Kuroko were still in shock over the conversation. Aki nodded.

"I am fine, but Uiharu isn't." Aki then saw the look of concern on Misaka's and Saten's face. She elaborated.

"I believe Uiharu is suffering from split personality syndrome. Its causing her to lash out violently and with much reason." Aki sighed. But Saten looked at her.

"But, isn't , I don't know, SPS like multiple personality disorder?" Aki shook her head.

"SPS has only been seen in espers, but it has analogues in other mental disorders, as you thought. But unlike the disorder you brought up, SPS is tied into one's personal reality," Aki knelt down to Uiharu, checking her vitals while continuing.

"It isn't that she has two personalities or two different identities, she just has a split in her personality. On one hand you have Uiharu's old self; caring, nice, a bit naïve, but always looking out for the well-being of others. On the other hand though, which we are now seeing, her personality is aggressive, selfish, power hungry, and lacks remorse for others." Aki paused, making sure she wasn't going too fast.

"These personal realities can't coincide with one another, and thus both are lashing out. She can't stop it, as it's her mind fighting itself. Eventually, one of these realities will win out and the other will become dormant. So please forgive her for her outburst, it is probably just who other personality lashing out, trying to gain control over Uiharu's body."

Both Misaka and Saten nodded, but Kuroko didn't react, still in shock at Uiharu's words.

"But this is Uiharu, and I didn't cause her to get kicked out of Judgment, she is merely on medical leave," said Kuroko in a soft voice. "I also didn't think I was being selfish. A bit brash, sure, maybe a bit stubborn, but I wasn't trying to be selfish." Misaka put her hand on Kuroko.

"Listen, this isn't Uiharu, well not entirely. I am sure that she will get better, I doubt she will become absorbed by he darkness," said Misaka, getting Kuroko up. "Lets just give Uiharu time to get her mind back in control, I bet she will be back to normal in no time." Aki shook her head, much to the disapproval of the others.

"SPS doesn't go away in a few days. It usually takes months before the personality is completely in control, except in a few cases. But sadly, most of the time, the more aggressive personality takes over the body," stated Aki. "But this doesn't mean all hope is lost. We just need to not give her aggressive personality any more fuel. If its logic is removed, than the old Uiharu you know will likely return."

Saten, Misaka, and Kuroko blew a sigh of relief. It's just means that it would take time before Uiharu returned to normal. But while they began planning on how to help Uiharu out, Aki had a silent doubt in her head.

There weren't any recognized treatment for SPS, as no formal studies how been done, so she wasn't sure if her idea would work. In theory, it should, as getting rid of the reasons for the aggressive personality to exist should cause it to become dormant. But she knew the problem with this theory is that Uiharu will always be pressured to level up, always being a source of fuel for the aggressive dark Uiharu.

She looked at Uiharu. She was beginning to breath normally, as though she had just been napping. Aki felt a tinge of sadness, as she didn't want another one of her friends to become her enemy.

"Not again," prayed Aki quietly. "Not to Uiharu, please."

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

**Author's notes: Thanks to everyone who has written reviews, private messaged me, and those who favorite and follow this story, it means a lot to me. Thankfully, this concludes the Trials and Hardships Arc. **

**The Next arc will focus on Uiharu trying to master her personal reality and returned back to her normal self while the Kiharas on both sides are trying to foil each other plans. Will Aki be able to get Uiharu back to her normal self with the help of Misaka and friends, or will Katsu and Romanov get their hands on a protégée? To find out, please follow this story and find out. As always, take care and enjoy the story. **


	12. Chapter 12: Hidden Agenda Arc

**Hidden Agenda Arc**

Chapter Twelve: System Scan

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

Uiharu woke up in her dorm, still feeling the numbness of being shocked by Misaka yesterday. She knew she acted out of line, but still, she wanted to let Kuroko feel her despair, he anger. She shook herself, and looked in front of her.

_"I know you are there," _she thought_. "Just come out already." _Uiharu then saw her dark-self come out and glared at her. But then she smirked.

_"Come on now Uiharu, didn't it feel good to let that load off your chest?" _Uiharu pretended to be thinking, then she replied.

_"No, as it hurt my relations with Kuroko, Misaka, and probably also Saten. How does lashing out this pettily help me out?" _Dark Uiharu shrugged. She sat in a chair at Uiharu's desk.

_"It is helping you out, because you are too weak to act on your accord. You always act like some selfless idiot, so you won't be able to become as powerful as you can!" _She turned to face Uiharu, her eyes piercing Uiharu's skin. _"If you want power, you can't act noble; you must take it by the reigns and command it!" _

Uiharu was annoyed with this thought. It sickened her that she actually had this personality hiding inside of her. She got up.

_"To hell with your idea of power, it is corrupt and petty at best. I will make my reality the one to stand on top," _Uiharu caught herself, cursing how much influence her dark-self had. _"Damn it, why am I talking like you now?! You are so despicable that it hurts my head thinking that you are me!" _

Her dark-self snickered, while twirling with her hair.

_"That wasn't very nice of you Uiharu, you should be more like that!" _Her dark-self laughed. _"it actually gives you some personality in my opinion. Better than being some innocent weak girl who must rely on her friends for help anyway." _Uiharu got up and got dressed, remembering it was the day of the System Scan. Her dark-self kept on ranting, about how Uiharu needed power at all cost, and how she was weak.

Uiharu looked at her, and glared again.

_"Listen why don't you?" _began Uiharu to her dark-self. _"Today I get scanned today to see If I am a Level Two or not. If I become a Level Two, you must shut up and not bother me for, two weeks." _She could see her dark-self thinking.

_"Are you really making a Faustian Deal with me?" _asked dark Uiharu, and when Uiharu sighed begrudgingly, she laughed. _"Fine, I accept on the terms that if you don't, you must listen to my advice until you are Level Two." _Uiharu shuddered at the thought, but she accepted. If there was a chance of reprieve from that bitch, then it was worth the risks.

She grabbed her school bag and her PDA, and set off for school.

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

Uiharu arrived at her classroom, and saw Saten with Kongou. She went up to them, remembering the deal she had made earlier. She shook herself of the dread.

"Hi Saten, Kongou. Why are you here though Kongou?" asked Uiharu. Kongou chuckled.

"As a part of the Tokiwadai training program, I am to come with Saten to her System scan to see how well I trained her, get advice from the specialist, and other boring things," she sighed. "I hate the time it takes to do a System Scan. Hey Saten, when are you up?"

Saten looked at the paper in her hand.

"We still have an hour before I get scanned, so yeah," said Saten. "Hey Uiharu, how are you feeling?" Uiharu shrugged.

"Kind of nervous and still feeling the effects of getting shocked by Misaka," noted Uiharu. "But otherwise fine. Oh, I got my system scan in ten minutes, I wonder why though." She trailed off, getting lost in her thought.

She was thinking about how the last couple of weeks have been for her. She had gotten stronger, but then she ended up in the lab. She could feel the taste of blood in her mouth, and her ribs began to ache. She tried to stop, but the memories of the pain and torture wouldn't go away.

She tried to slow her breathing, but with every breath, it seemed to echo the pain she felt when she took a breath with her ribs broken. She tried to keep calm, but her dark-self came by, and decided to remind her of her weakness. _Can't fight, can't defend yourself or your friends, you really are weak. It's a shame you are going to lose the deal. _

She shook herself, and noticed it was time for her system scan. She walked to one of the specialist, who guided her to a room.

The Room had an observation window, and what appeared to be hexagonal sheets of thermal insulation on the wall. Perhaps word of her ability reached them, and they decided to take precautions. Uiharu didn't blame them. She saw her dark-self in front of her.

_"It is show time!" her dark-self smirked. "Give it your best shot after the instructions!" _

Uiharu saw a speaker in the corner of the room.

"Alright Ms. Uiharu Kazari, the goal of the exercise is to lower and then raise the temperature of the thermometer in the room from as far away as you can," the speaker instructed. "After you reach the lowest temperature you can maintain for two minutes, you will raise the temperature to as high as you can and maintain that until you can't get the thermometer hotter after four minutes. The exercise will then conclude." Uiharu nodded, and began lowering the temperature of the thermometer.

She imagined that she was in the Artic with the thermometer, and that she was blanketing it in the wind chill. She kept this thought up and after a minute she felt she reached the lowest she could. She maintained it for the time required. The Speaker spoke.

"Lowest temperature achieved was 200 Kelvin. Now increase the temperature."

Uiharu began to think about a lava flow, and dipping the thermometer into it. Slowly, she could see the room begin to steam from the change in temperature, and also notices she was creating mirages in the room. She kept thinking about the heat of molten lava burning the thermometer when the speakers finally spoke after a period of 5 minutes.

"Highest temperature achieved was 1300 kelvin. Air temperature around the thermometer measures at 750 kelvin. Air at the wall measured 320 kelvin. This exercise is concluded." Uiharu waited with an abated breath for the conclusion of her power Level.

"The current level of Uiharu Kazari is Level Two. Ability renamed: Thermal Presence" Uiharu smiled at the results. Now she wouldn't be bothered by her dark-self for two weeks. She turned around left the room, and went to see Saten at her power training.

She got to where Saten was testing her ability, and saw Kongou wave her over. She went down to where Kongou was. She saw a series of flags around Saten, and so Uiharu had to ask.

"Um Kongou, what exactly is Saten supposed to do?" she asked. Kongou however hushed her and urged her to sit. Uiharu then saw Saten focusing.

Then Saten released her hand in front of her, and Uiharu noticed the flags around her began to flap faster and faster, and eventually, the flags to Saten sides began to flap. But after five minutes, after no further change, the speaker called out.

"Wind speeds up to 100kph, in a 60 degree arc in front of the user Saten Ruiko. The Current level of Saten Ruiko is now Level Two, Ability renamed: Wind Arc." Saten then began to skip to Kongou, who was also smiling.

"Good work Saten!" congratulated Kongou. "I am surprised at the wind speed though. I though you would probably do about 70, maybe 80khp." Saten just kept smiling.

"Nah, then it wouldn't be easy to remember," she looked at Uiharu. "So how did you testing go?" Uiharu smiled, thankful that her dark-self was actually not screwing with her.

"I am level Two as well. My test was fairly boring though. I was asked to heat a thermometer as low and then as high as I could." Kongou laughed. Uiharu looked at, with a glint of suppressed anger. Kongou explained.

"I overheard one of the people here talking about how they had to insulate the walls in the room you were testing in to prevent any damages," she looked at Uiharu was fanning herself. "Apparently the room is insulated to withstand temperatures as those found in iron foundries."

Uiharu chuckled at that _.So now even the testers were getting a little anxious about her ability eh? _She looked at Kongou.

"Thanks for telling me. So, what are you two up to?" Uiharu asked. Kongou looked at Saten, and Saten apparently had seen that look before.

"I guess it's time for more strength training," muttered Saten, now looking down. "I guess I will see you later Uiharu. Hey, if you want to hang out with Misaka and Aki later, I can give them a call to hang out at the park." Uiharu nodded, confirming with Saten their plans later in the evening.

Uiharu then leaves Saten and Kongou, heading back to her dorm. Uiharu however felt like someone was watching her. She looked out at the Parking lot, but didn't see anyone watching her. She shakes the feeling, blaming it on her dark-self being always on her mind. But in an unmarked van, two men began a session of planning and plotting.

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

Katsu and Romanov watched as Uiharu finally left the parking lot. Romanov was fuming. Uiharu's System Scan results conflicted with his computer model. He cursed loudly.

"Fucking piece of shit," he cursed. "Why is my computer model inaccurate? Hell, she blown my model right out of the window." Katsu let Romanov fumed. It was rumored that Romanov once beat a Spetsnaz Sergeant to death when he interfered with his Esper trainee's regime.

"To make matters worse, her ability is level is 2.4, and she is having the peak results my model predicted. Damn it, my models are usually dead on!" Katsu finally spoke up.

"Maybe your model isn't correct due to being unable to define the upper limits of her power," he suggested. Thermal Hand was a relatively rare ability to begin with, and with Uiharu making her ability unique, becoming the only esper with 'Thermal Presence'. Romanov looked at him with fire in his eyes.

"I mean, what the hell could she do at her maximum that isn't in line with her ability?" Romanov sneered. "All esper abilities follow a general flow. Take her friend Misaka Mikoto's ability, 'Railgun'. It's electric and magnetic field manipulation. At level one, she creates useless sparks, by level 3 she can manipulate magnetic fields and has great use of electrical fields, and by Level five she can propel a large coin or anything with metal to Mach 3. It follows a flow. So my model uses the similar assumptions, and while it couldn't determine the Level Five abilities, it predicted her result for today to be peak level two, not MID-LEVEL TWO!" Romanov was furious. Katsu sighed.

"Oh and to make matters worse, I talked to the people running her psyche profile from the reports we send to them, and they say that while she does has SPS, she has a higher likely hood of betting the new personality due to her fucking friends!" Romanov was shaking now, unable to control his anger. Katsu was now following Uiharu by the bug that was planted in her PDA. She appeared to be heading to her dorm. He looked over at Romanov.

"Well, if the problem is the computer model, then why not rewrite it?" he suggested, and regretted it when he saw Romanov's face. It was the look he imagined Russians would make when they had a hatchet to a Nazis's neck. He was red, he was straining not to crush his teeth, and the veins were bulging in his throat.

"My model is based on the same system that Academy City uses!" he spat. "So rewriting it would be useless and a waste of my time," he pointed to his computer model. "The problem arises when I ask it to give a rough estimate of her Level Five. The computer freaks the fucks out, saying there is an error in the system. That is why I am forced to do it Level by Level, and use the System Scan results to further refine my model." Katsu looked away from the tracker.

"What do you mean the computer gives an error?" he asked. Romanov shrugged.

"It states that its predicted path is beyond normal deviation, and thus it reads as an error. It's like having a weather forecast saying that in the middle of summer it is going to snow. It shouldn't be possible for it to snow in the large scheme of things, and so it appears as an error. The problem is, I can't see what it is considering an error, so I can't fix it!"

Katsu whistled, but he understood Romanov's frustration. He remembered making a number of toxins that failed over and over for no reason other than a computer program inaccurately portioned the toxin's ingredients. So he understood Romanov's frustration, but he couldn't understand why Uiharu's ability would be giving the computer a problem.

"So, let's discuss how we are going to get Uiharu to adopt her other personality then, as talking computer is going to piss you off further," suggested Katsu. Romanov nodded.

"Alright. Well, she has her friends, notably Kihara Aki and Misaka Mikoto backing her up, trying to stop her from adopting her darker personality. If we want a chance of success, we need to either derail their efforts or keep them from knowing that Uiharu is changing." Katsu shook his head.

"Aki has seen SPS up close and personal. She is going to pay attention to Uiharu until she deems her 'clean'. So keeping them in the dark isn't going to be viable. Plus we need her to keep training Uiharu until we can swoop in and make her our puppet." Romanov was clearly annoyed.

"This Aki, she is going to be our downfall if we aren't careful," he muttered. "I would love to kill her, but as you said, we need her, for now." Katsu got the van to their observation point outside of Uiharu's dorm.

"Well, we need a plan to excite her other personality," muttered Katsu. He then notices a car, blue with tinted windows pull into the parking lot. Katsu put a laser mic to listen inside the car. What he had heard put him on edge.

"Aw shit!" Katsu cursed. "Romanov, get the guns loaded, I think we might have to intervene again." Romanov pulled out some street bought AK-47s and reloaded the magazines.

"Who the hell is here?" asked Romanov and he shoved the magazine into receiver. Katsu looked at him.

"Well, Skill Out was able to figure out who dropped in at their lab and forced two men to come and kill their men. So I hope like Hell Uiharu can get the hell out of dodge quickly."

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

Uiharu was in her room, working on some problems for chemistry. She sighed, as she was bored with figuring out the mole for a certain mass of a certain element. It was tedious, time consuming, and not in any way applicable to her ability. She sighed.

She grabbed her PDA and began looking at various websites, and after a while of looking up several sites for a new computer, she went to study her ability. It was a fruitless search, as most esper-related videos dealt with either science conferences or looking at electromasters, as they were the most numerous and varied esper ability. There was almost nothing on Thermal Presence.

She grew annoyed, and was about to give up when she heard a knock at the door. She got up and walked to the door.

"Who is it?" she asked. But she could hear the shuffling of multiple people just outside her door. She froze, knowing full well that the others weren't at the door. She began thinking of the various people who could be at her door.

She didn't need to wait long, as the door was kicked down by a large man followed by two others. He wore black shades and was holding a baseball bat. He grinned.

"So you are the little shit the dropped by our lab and caused all sorts of hell for us," he said, with the other two men flanking to Uiharu's side. They had crowbars. "Well, you screwed us out of a massive payout. So you are going to have to be taught a lesson. So before we kick your ass to a pulp, any last words?"

Uiharu was stunned, and was unable to comprehend the situation. She knew she was outnumbered, they were fully willingly to kill her, and brutally at that, and she had no one to call out to help. She felt a bead of sweat roll down her face.

"What, you scared shitless?" asked the man. Uiharu was shaking, unsure what to do. But she saw her dark-self behind the man.

_"Idiot, mind if I take over for a sec?" _asked her dark-self, all in her head. Uiharu mentally nodded. She felt as though her head was going to split as her dark-self took the reigns. She then was thinking of how to use her ability effiecntly.

Uiharu noted the crowbars would be easy to heat up, thus disarming the two men. Thus, before the men got any closing, she began raising the air temperature around the crowbars. The men quickly let go, as the metal became too hot for them to handle. The leader laughed.

"Oh, I take it you also burned down the lab?" he smirked. "Well, thankfully, wood is one hell of a insulator!" He charged at Uiharu, who hadn't had time to force the bat out of his hand. She side stepped him, and saw the other two men charge her. She began to think of her options.

The first option she thought was to ignite the room on fire, but besides it holding her valuables, she would likely receive flak from judgment, and have to deal with the selfish Kuroko. She dismissed the idea while trying to avoid get grabbed.

Then an idea came to her. She chuckled at the idea, which the leader heard.

"What's so fucking funny?" he asked. Uiharu looked at him, though is really was her darker self.

"Oh nothing, except I am feeling a bit hot. I think I would like to cool off." The men looked at her confused, which gave her enough time to super-freeze the air around her. The men realized they were screwed, but they were too stubborn to know when to give up.

"Oh, you are going to freeze us, is that it?" he asked. He smirked at Uiharu. "Well, too bad for you, I don't mind the cold!" He rushed in, but the moment he was within reaching distance of her, he felt his arm go numb. He pulled back, swearing all the while.

The two men however picked up their crowbars, which had been cooled by uiharu's ability, and charged her. They figured that if they charged in and hit her once, it be game over for her. Uiharu kept stepping back, and began to extend the area of her ability.

However, the men soon stopped rushing her. Uiharu looked confused. The leader laughed.

"You know what is so god damn funny about you espers?" he asked rhetorically. "It's that you act all high and mighty, but when you start to use your ability, you eventually lose your focus and can't continue the fight!" Uiharu panicked, realzing that the men didn't need to actually beat her, they only needed to outwait her. She snarled at them.

"So you guys are going to just sit there and wait for me to grow tired, is that it?" The leader nodded.

"Yeah, basic idea. But don't worry; we won't need to wait long. If you do last more than say 10 minutes, I could have my boy here grab the pistol from the car and put a bullet straight into your skull." Uiharu began to panic.

_"Shit, I can't stop a bullet!" _she screamed to her dark-self. He dark-self sighed.

_ "No shit, but I am going to try something," _she said. She stopped using her ability to shield herself from them. The men obviously couldn't tell that she wasn't using her ability, so Uiharu focused and the men's hearts.

_"What do you hope to achieve?" _asked Uiharu to her dark-self. Her dark-self ignored her.

She began to think of ice, and the men almost immediately clutched their chests.

"What the fuck are you doing to us?!" yelled the leader as he fell to his knees. Why was he feeling very cold to the core? Uiharu laughed.

"What' don't like having your core temperature fucked with?" she said smirking. She then sat down. "I guess that you have maybe five minutes to live with me freezing your hearts to about negative seventy degrees. But I suspect that I am causing blood clots at any moment." The leader panicked.

"Please, have mercy!" he begged. Dark Uiharu was about to let them die before Uiharu force her way back to control. She stopped freezing the men, and actually raised their core body temperatures. She didn't want to be a murderer, and she defiantly did not want to become a monster like her dark-self.

She looked at the leader after he recovered.

"Who sent you?" she asked. The leader shuddered.

"look, we don't like it when litch bitches like you burn our labs and buddies, so you can fuck off!" Uiharu got up and kicked the man in the groins. She was pissed off.

"I didn't kill your 'buddies' as I was drugged and tortured by them! Whoever killed your buddies, I wouldn't know, but quit blaming me! I already have my friends thinking I am some bitch, I don't need whoever the fuck you are as well!" She paused, annoyed that despite regaining control, her dark-self had left a considerable presence.

"Tell me who sent you," demanded Uiharu again. The leader and his men began to back off.

"Look, we are with Skill-Out, but I doubt there is anything you can do to stop us!" he ran and his men followed suit. "We will be back you fucking bitch!" Uiharu saw the men running to some blue bar. She made sure to get the plate number, and then sat down.

_"Was that so bad?" _her dark-self asked, while sitting at the now trashed room. Uiharu only noticed it got trashed, the fighting made you forget what was happening. But she glared at dark Uiharu.

_"This was an exception. I don't ever want to see you again for the next two weeks! Now leave me alone!" _Her dark-self glared back at her, but she left as she promised. Uiharu slumped in her chair, looking at the mess.

"This day sucked," muttered Uiharu, as her phone ranged. She saw it was Saten.

"Hi Saten," said Uiharu. "Hey, I am sorry, but I need to clean my dorm up, so if you, Aki, and Misaka could come over, that be great." She heard Saten whine.

"C'mon, we just got to the park. It's not fair, you changing plans like this!" Uiharu want to punch Saten, only to realize that her dark-self was approving of the thought. She shook herself, trying to free her of that influence.

"Look, I had some men come to my room, and they tried to beat me up," stated Uiharu. "As a result, my room is trashed." She heard Saten gasped.

"Call Judgment!" ordered Saten. "They can look into…" Uiharu hung up then, vowing not to rely on Judgment for as long as she was on 'medical leave'. She looked at her dorm once more and sighed. Maybe burning it would've been easier to explain than having to clean this mess up.

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

**Author's note: Wow, this was a long chapter. I feel though this was a slow chapter, but it was kind of nessacary evil to set up the plot for this arc. Now we can see Aki's efforts clash with Katsu's and Romanov's efforts, and Uiharu dealing with her dark-self. **

**But for now, please review, follow, and favorite. Also if you have suggestions or questions, please PM me, and I will try and reply to them as soon as possible.**


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Inner conflict

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\/\/\/

Saten's face was ripe with frustration. Her best friend Uiharu had hung up on her at the first mention of Judgment. Saten knew Uiharu felt betrayed by Kuroko and Judgment, but this was pathetic. She sighed, and faced Misaka and Aki who were looking at Saten with looks of concern, as they only heard Saten's side of the conversations.

"Well, sounds like someone went after Uiharu," informed Saten. "And now she isn't going to call Judgment to file a report. Damn it, why is she acting with so much pride?" Aki sighed, having gone through this before.

"Her SPS is kicking in, and she is starting to adopt some of the selfish behaviors first. Damn it, did she say who attacked her?" asked Aki. Saten shook her head. Aki's shoulders fell. "Damn it." Aki looked over to Misaka.

"Hey Misaka, I need to go see someone again," said Aki, with Misaka knowing she was referring to Kihara Takeru. "So could you and Saten go to Uiharu's dorm and calm her down, or at the very least stop her from trying anything stupid?"

Misaka nodded, not wanting to meet Takeru anytime soon. She and Saten then headed for uiharu's dorm, leaving Aki alone in the park. Aki sighed, thinking how Uiharu must be feeling right now. She feared the Uiharu was losing her willpower against her inner personality. Aki then began walking to Takeru's apartment, needing answers.

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

Takeru was in his apartment, reading a news article about the likelihood of a new Level Five esper was. The article stated that the likelihood of it occurring were low, around three to five percent odds, as many espers' ability weren't suited to becoming Level Five. Takeru chuckled.

Despite all the talk about becoming all powerful, most esper abilities were benign, and thus they didn't lend them to becoming very powerful. Anyway, most espers were in the Level one through three range, about eighty to ninety percent. The other ten percent were level, with only seven Level fives noted in the whole of Academy city.

He sighed, and then read the latest System scan result, flipping to Uiharu. It appeared that she jumped to Level Two, with just about a month and a half of training by Aki.

"Way to go," he muttered. "You always could find the ones in the bunch that could level up." He was about to shuffle off to his computer when he heard a knock at the door. He sighed, figuring it was Aki.

"What is it?" he asked, and Aki let herself in. Takeru took a look at her, and saw something he hadn't seen in years. She was pale, her hair was a mess, and she was shaking ever so slightly. He sighed, figuring that something went wrong. But he waited for her to respond.

"Takeru," Aki began. "I think Uiharu is suffering from SPS." Takeru sat down and began running the odds. He had seen SPS, just like Aki had, and knew the odds weren't in favor for Uiharu. He looked over to her.

"And this concerns me why?" he asked, with a tone that could freeze a man. Aki glared at him.

"You damn well know why I am here!" she yelled. "I don't want to see Uiharu go down the same path as Accelerator!" Takeru chuckled. He knew Aki, and he knew how to screw with her.

"So what you want me to do? SPS is rare, it isn't easily treated, and the longer is goes on, the more and more likely it is for her to succumb to her new personality." Takeru then saw Aki clenching her fist, ready to punch him.

"But seriously, what do you want me to do?" he asked. "I won't be able to rid her of SPS, you are better suited to that. So what earthly reason do you have for visiting me?" He stared down Aki, who was emotionless now. He was about to turn around when she finally spoke.

"You know as well as I do that the family wants a solution to their problems, and they seem to think Uiharu is the solution, for whatever reason. So I want you to stop them." Takeru grinned.

"Are you asking me what I think you are?" he asked. Aki nodded.

"Stop the family from interfering with Uiharu's life, at any cost." Takeru laughed. He got up and walk up to her, and got in her face.

"Oh yeah, and what possible reason would I want to interfere for?" he snarled. "It's not like Uiharu is my problem." Aki grew red with anger. She wanted to hit her cousin, but she needed his help to keep the family off her back while she treated Uiharu.

"Name your price," Aki stated. Takeru laughed, which caused the hair on Aki's arm to stand up. He pretended to think, and then he spoke.

"Simple, I want the formula or method to make X1," Takeru said. "I bet I could make a killing and a name for myself if I could refine it." Aki paled, as it probably was X1 that got Uiharu into this hell. But she nodded, doing anything to his support. Takeru then got up.

"Fine, I will see what I can do, but only because its you, and I want my hands on the X1 formula," stated Takeru as he walked past her and to his car.

Aki slumped down on the wall, disgusted by what she was agreeing to help her friend. She bowed her head slightly.

"Please forgive for what I have done," muttered Aki. "But I saw no other alternative to my problems."

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

Uiharu was in still in her dorm, looking at the mess that was her dorm. Her desk was smashed, there was glass on the floor, and the door lay on the floor, knocked off the hinges. But this was of little concern to Uiharu. She was more concerned with her immediate future.

She tried to calm her nerves, but (and against the deal they had made, Uiharu might have regarded the deal as null and void by now) her dark-self came back, sitting in her chair. Uiharu looked at her.

_"What is it now?" _Uiharu asked, with venom in her thought. Dark Uiharu was twirling with her hair, almost like trying to finish her thought before speaking. Uiharu waited when finally her dark-self spoke.

"_Was it right to let those men off?" _asked dark Uiharu. Uiharu nodded.

_"It would've been murder, and murder isn't right," _Uiharu rationalized_. "There, by intervening, I spared their lives and prevented myself from having blood on my hand." _Her dark-self looked at her with disbelieving eyes.

_"But those men vowed not to stop until they got you," _countered her dark-self. _"What good would it be sparing them if they killed you the next time?" _Uiharu blanched at the thought. Why was her dark-self asking these questions?

_"Oh, maybe you thought they would be driven off, allowing you to get your friends to help out and possibly deter any future attacks?" _Uiharu nodded, as she thought that with Misaka, Aki, and Saten, they could deter Skill-Out from harming her. But when she nodded, her dark-self looked annoyed.

_"You don't learn do you?" _she asked, and at Uiharu's silence she continued. _"What are you going to do when your friends aren't there, or they are dead? Then what are you going to do?" _Uiharu struggled to find an answer, and her dark-self knew this.

_"One of these days, your friends, sick of having to bail you out, with abandoned you, and then all you will have it me," _Dark Uiharu pointed at herself while resting her hand on Uiharu's right shoulder. _"You can't rely on your friends; you can only rely on yourself and your will. But you lack will as of now. But if I were in control, you wouldn't need to fear anything." _Her dark-self smiled, with a glean of contempt in her eyes. Uiharu finally countered.

_"But for what good?! All you care about is control and power, and those could easily be taken away by a single misstep, or by a miscalculation. What good does having all the power in the world do if no one is there to benefit from it?" _Uiharu felt a tear run down her cheek. _"I don't want to be some monster, some power-craving idiot, so leave me be!" _

Her dark-self sat back down in the chair, all the while glaring at Uiharu. She laughed after a moment, much to Uiharu's surprise.

_"You act superiority to those that try and acquire power, don't you? You act like the pursuit of power is pathetic, and those that go down that path are idiots. But what of your friends, and what of this city?" _Uiharu looked at her dark-self, confused by what she meant.

_" I don't understand what you are…" _He dark-self laughed and pointed her finger at Uiharu.

_"This entire city, and your friends are all pursuing powers. What is the point of Academy City, why it is to Level Up and become more powerful! Saten was desperate enough to get power she used the Level-upper, Misaka and Kuroko attend a school where only level threes and above are permitted, and this city uses orphans as test subjects! How exactly can you see yourself better than everyone in this city?! You must be very ego-centric to think you can avoid your lust for power!" _

Uiharu struggled with this argument. She knew firsthand what this city could do, as she seen it firsthand. The students here were willingly volunteers for scientific experiments, child errors were left in care of scientist who used them for unethical experiments, and to make matters worse the entire culture was trying to achieve a higher power. How could Uiharu not become intoxicated by the desire for power.

She shook herself, trying to counter.

_"But I don't want my power to harm anyone! I don't desire the ability to harm those, even if it makes me more powerful. I don't approve of what this city does, but there are genuinely good people here, innocent people who are just trying to live their lives! So quit warping my memories, quit perverting them for your own gains!" _Uiharu saw her dark-self look away, angry at this outburst.

_"Fine, I shall retire for the evening. But I will be here, waiting for you to wake up and realize that this life, this illusion of yours, is weak and petty, and for you to embrace my personality as your own. Oh yes, I desire to become one with you, and for us to get the power to rival any before us. But until then, enjoy your petty life with friends who will back stab you at your moment of weakness." _Uiharu then saw her dark-self leave, and she collapsed and began to weep.

Why was her dark self so convincing? Uiharu continued to weep, but soon she heard Saten and Misaka at the stair well. She quickly wiped her tears and tried to stifle her crying before they got to her dorm. She saw the look of concern on both of their faces.

"Uiharu, are you alright," asked Saten, kneeling next to her, making sure not to kneel into any glass. "You dorm, you made it sound trivial, but this.." Saten was speechless, nothing seemed to justify this. Misaka looked at Uiharu.

"Uiharu, I am glad to see you are ok, but really you should call Judgment, at least so they can file an incident report so you don't have to pay for damages." Uiharu looked at Misaka, and resisted the urge to yell at her, for bringing up Judgment. She couldn't explain why, but the thought of asking Judgment for help felt so wrong, maybe it was because of Kuroko or that she was forced to take medical leave over the lab incident.

"Misaka, if it's that important, then you make the call," stated Uiharu, looking away from Misaka. "I don't feel … I rather not deal with Judgment. I can't look at them at the moment, not after everything."

Misaka felt sick, her stomach churning. She hoped to have Kuroko and Uiharu make up, and while Kuroko understood what was going on to Uiharu, it appeared as though Uiharu didn't even want to make amends. She sighed, frustrated at this new found pride.

"Uiharu, you were attacked in your dorm, who knows what they could do next," Misaka said. "So please, listen to us! Call Judgment…" Uiharu finally glared at Misaka.

"So they can what, protect me?! They forced me into medical leave, my friend Kuroko, who I don't even know is my friend anymore, threw me under the bus, and anyway, everyone at Judgment sees me as a pain in their ass!" Uiharu began to shake, her arms reddening in anger. "All I was every good for was keep the tea warm and for my computer skills. No one at the office really respected me!"

"Bullshit Uiharu! If it weren't for your computer skills, then Saten and a bunch of other people would've been left in a coma, unable to get out. Also, despite not needing to come, you faced down Therestina and bought Saten enough time to disable the Capacity Dow system." Misaka then pause to calm down. "Uiharu, you made a ton of differences there, that to hold a grudge against Judgment isn't fair, not after all the good you did."

Uiharu was about to retort, but her mind wasn't able to think. Not after that fight with her dark-self anyway. She remained seated, and tried to organize her thoughts. But she was tired, so she finally conceded defeat.

"Fine Misaka, I will call them, but only because I am too tired to argue anymore," said Uiharu as she grabbed her cell phone, and called the Judgment office. She quickly stated what happened to the officer, who said a person would be down in a minute.

She looked over at Saten and Misaka, who appeared to be relieved at her calling Judgment. But she couldn't understand why, what did they see that she couldn't? But she was tired, and decided to forget the fact she had her friends over and just closed her eyes to nap.

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

Yomikawa was on her way to Uiharu's dorm. She sighed, thinking how fucked up Uiharu's life must've become. She sighed, thinking that whatever trouble Uiharu was in, she would at least try and prevent any blowback onto Uiharu. She knew that the higher-ups wanted to kick Uiharu out of Judgment, but because of her record it wasn't going to happen if Uiharu walked the fine line.

She parked in front of Uiharu's dorm room, and began walking up to her room. From what she heard, the dorm was a mess due to the fight, so Yomikawa braced herself, as she seen what a fight with an esper could do to a room. But when she got in, she chuckled.

"Huh Uiharu, at least you didn't leave your room a mess," said Yomikawa, who couldn't stop herself from smiling. "Looks better than my place after a New Year's Party." Misaka and Saten were stunned, surprised at Yomikawa's calm demeanor.

"Yeah, but she was still attacked, shouldn't you be a bit more serious?" asked Saten. Yomikawa waved it off.

"I have to be serious almost all the time, so sorry if I don't act like I probably should. But I get the job done," Yomikawa then walked a bit more into the room. She saw that Uiharu was asleep on the chair. Yomikawa shook Uiharu awake.

"Huh, who is it?! Oh, sorry Yomikawa. I guess you had to come by due to this," Uiharu started, pointing at the mess that was her dorm. "Sorry for any inconveniences this might have placed on you. I sure wasn't looking forward to having to call Judgment or have my dorm wrecked." Uiharu got up.

"So what do you need?" asked Uiharu. Yomikawa just looked at the dorm.

"Not much actually, just need your statement, and then I would be on my way out, but this dorm isn't really suitable for you to be in, not with Skill-Out gunning for you." Uiharu sighed.

"I told the person at Judgment what happened, do I really need to repeat myself?" Yomikawa nodded, leaving Uiharu to groan.

"Fine. I got to my dorm, I did some minor things, three men came in, busting my door, trying to beat my ass up. I stop them, and they ran to a blue car. That is pretty much it," Uiharu looked at Yomikawa, realizing she overheard her. "Wait, why did you mention my dorm?" Yomikawa laughed.

"Well, due to those kind gentlemen who tried to assault you, your dorm has no door, and there is debris on the ground. So for a little while you will have to stay at my apartment." Uiharu was confused, before dropping her head.

"When do I have to go?" she asked. Yomikawa looked at her watch. She figured that with traffic and having to make dinner for everyone, Uiharu had to leave as soon as possible.

"Sorry, but as soon as you can gather your things. I have others are my place, and they get very angsty when things don't go as planned." Uiharu sighed, and quickly gathered her clothers, her PDA, and her cell phone with the help of Saten and Misaka.

"Got everything?" asked Yomikawa. Uiharu nodded, and then turned to Misaka and Saten.

"Bye guys, I will see you tomorrow, and sorry for earlier I… just I am sorry." Uiharu then followed Yomikawa to her car, and the two headed off to Yomikawa's flat.

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

Katsu was about to throw his coffee at the windshield. Things kept going wrong, for all the wrong reasons. He was certain Aki was up to something, though what she had planned he didn't know. But now Yomikawa, the person Taiki tried to get rid of, was now going to act as de facto guardian of Uiharu.

"Fucking punk ass bitches," seethed Katsu. "This is why I hate Skill-Out, they do nothing but interfere with plans, plans that shouldn't get too out of hand. But no, they can't do a simple job; they have to go muck things up!"

Romanov glanced at him, thinking how things must have been simple before Aki caught wind of their involvement. Katsu removed Taiki to throw Aki off the trail, but when Aki learned of Uiharu's SPS, she began to get her ducks in a row. But having to keep her alive was causing it share of problems. Romanov looked at Katsu.

"So Uiharu is going with Yomikawa then?" he muttered, not really waiting for a response. "In that case, this observation gig is as good as done." Katsu nodded. Yomikawa's flat was too dangerous to observed. Besides the obvious electronic counter measures that were bound to be there and the flat being around the 5 or 6h floor, the risk of being found by Accelerator was too high.

"Yeah, don't remind me. In this case, I am going to contact command for further orders." Katsu got on the phone to command.

"Command, this is Overwatch One. The target is being taken to a place where observation is too risky. Awaiting new orders." Katsu could hear the other person sigh. It was two minutes before he got a response.

"Overwatch One, discontinue observing the target. Focus all efforts on the removal of any outside influences which could hamper the goal of the operation." Katsu's face fell. Removing outside influences, that could include Accelerator, Yomikawa, Aki, Misaka, too many very powerful people to try and take out.

"Command, clarify," asked Katsu, hoping there was some more information that would prevent a young death.

"Overwatch One, the removal of Skill-Out has been deemed needed, as their pursuit of Uiharu will only serve to keep Uiharu out of our control or influence. Also, in regards to Kihara Aki, she is to be left alone, at least for now. No other groups or person is in high enough regard to try and eliminate." Katsu breathed easier, Skill-Out would be easy to contain, if only just.

"Command, this is Overwatch One, we copy orders and will proceed to follow new mission parameters." Katsu got off the phone. Romanov looked at him

"So Skill-Out must go?" he asked. "Shame that will take a great deal of time." Katsu was about to speak when he saw someone in the review mirror. He paled a lot.

"Shit, Romanov, get the Street-Sweeper!" order Katsu, but it was too late, as Takeru opened the van's back door.

"Well, if it isn't the shit-stain Katsu," Takeru spat out. He looked at Romanov, and smirked. "Wow, if it isn't Romanov, what kind of deal did the family make you, because right now, it's the wrong deal!" Takeru then pulled both men out of the van. Romanov was pissed.

"Damn you, do you know you are interfering with a delicate plan?" Romanov spat. Takeru sighed.

"Yeah, but my price is too good to pass up on," stated Takeru. "Once I get the family uninterested in Uiharu, then Aki will give me the formula to X1, and I will make so much money." Takeru was about to kick Katsu when Katsu laughed. Takeru decided to give the shit-stain a moment to talk.

"You seriously believe that she will hand you the X1 formula?" asked Katsu, knowing a bit about X1 now. "She won't do such a thing!" Takeru smirked.

"No shit Sherlock. I believe she will back-stab me, but once I get my hands on Uiharu, she is going to fold. She can't risk seeing a close friend of her go the way of Accelerator, now can she?"

"Do you even think?" Spat out Romanov who was getting up to face Takeru. "X1 isn't some drug that can be manufactured without side effects. It is compressed AIM fields, stabilize with certain chemicals. If the Aim field is concentrated enough, it will always cause SPS, and soon people will demand a stop of the production!" Takeru clenched his fist and punch Romanov in the face.

"So what? This city has enough corrupt souls in it that I can still make a killing!" Takeru then kicked Romanov in the gut. "I will make my money, and go into a quiet retirement!" Katsu laughed again, and this time Takeru wasn't interested. He delivered a series of kicks into Katsu's abdomen, cursing him the entire time. Takeru did this for a minute, then went to work on Romanov, breaking his leg and left arm.

Takeru then went into the van and looked at the computer console. He saw a Level Diagram for Uiharu. He thought about wiping it, but something made him pause. He saw that the model was calculating for a peak level 3 with Uiharu's abilities. He thought it was odd, as Level Diagrams usually take a day or two as most to get to Level Five, but here is said the program had been running for some time just to get Level Three abilities. He decided not to wipe the data, but to copy the program's computation algorithm, hoping to find something out.

Takeru decided he spent enough time here, now it was time to leave and see if the family stopped. He doubted it, as the Kiharas were a persistant bunch. But he couldn't care less, as long as he made a bunch of money to retire young, Takeru was willing to burn the city down.

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

**Author's Notes: Alright, getting back into the swing of things. I apologize for the late-ish update, my back insisted I lay down to stop it from hurting. Also I went to see the movies. But that is that.**

**With Uiharu forced to live with Yomikawa, her tails pretty badly beaten, Aki feeling like she made a deal with the devil, and Takeru looking for X1, what will happen next. The **_**Worst **_**possible thing will happen, as things aren't kind to Uiharu anymore. **

**As always, please review, follow, and favorite. **


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Breakdown

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Uiharu was in the car with Yomikawa, musing to herself. Well, musing to herself and her dark-self anyway. The car ride was uneventful, something that Uiharu was pleased with. But her dark-self seemed to relish in the chaos of battle and conflict.

_"C'mon, admit it," _her dark self-whined to Uiharu_. "Beating those men gave you a sense of empowerment." _Uiharu however decided instead of arguing with her dark-self, she would try and ignore her. But that was easier said than done. Thankfully Yomikawa interrupted the mental conversation.

"So Uiharu, are you anxious to be living with me, considering I am like your parole officer?" asked Yomikawa. Uiharu shook her head.

"No, I just am bitter that my life isn't going back to normal," said Uiharu. "Well, as normal as you can get with being an esper and living here." Yomikawa laughed.

"I get you, this city isn't like anything else anywhere. But still, there isn't a reason to try and stabilize your life. But here I am saying that." Yomikawa then parked the car in front of her apartment building. She looked over to Uiharu.

"Uiharu, don't worry about anything going wrong here," started Yomikawa. "While I doubt anyone would attack my flat in the first place, with my two of my three charges, and now you, that flat might be able to handle a small army brigade. So don't worry about a thing here, other than enticing the wrath of one of my charges, he doesn't like people bothering him."

Uiharu was about to ask who this charge was when Yomikawa got out of the car and headed to her flat. Uiharu quickly grabbed her bag and followed Yomikawa. Once they got in the eleveator, Uiharu asked Yomikawa about her charges. But Yomikawa just urged her to wait, and Uiharu sighed. She guessed she would have to wait.

They got off on the 20th floor, and Yomikawa opens the door, and Uiharu sees a short brunette girl in a light blue shirt with a flower patten.

"Hello Yomikawa, say Misaka Misaka excitedly." The girl 'Misaka' looks at Uiharu. "Hi girl from Judgment!" Uiharu blushed, as she recognized her, as she tried to help her find 'some kid'. That was before she was captured and interrogated by some powerful esper.

"Hello," said Uiharu back. "How are you doing?" She saw the girl look at her. But upon seeing her bag, the girl smiled.

"Are you coming to live with us, ask Misaka Misaka curiously?" Uiharu nodded, to see the girl run off happily. Uiharu was a bit confused. But upon seeing Yomikawa and the girl enter the living room, Uiharu followed suite, to see three other people.

One looked like an older sister of the little girl she met at the door sitting on a couch. She was wearing a white and pink Ao Dai. On the same couch, looking annoyed at something (probably at Uiharu, but she didn't know), was a albino boy, wearing a alternating white and gray v-pattern shit. And in the chair drinking a coffee was a woman with blue hair but a more calm face than Yomikawa. Yomikawa looked at Uiharu.

"Alright Uiharu, you met Last Order at the door," she said, pointing at the young girl who was trying to get the albino's attention. "On the couch are Misaka Worst and Accelerator. And in the chair is Yoshikawa. So, welcome to my family." Uiharu looked at the 'family' uncomfortably.

"Hello," said Uiharu. "I am Uiharu Kazari, and I guess I will be staying with you guys." She saw Accelerator looking at her, probably trying to gauge her. Uiharu then notice a electric chocker on his neck. He got up.

"Yomikawa, why is she here?" he asked. "Is this flat becoming a place for just anyone?" Yomikawa glared at Accelerator.

"One Accelerator, this is my flat, so I can invite anyone I damn well please. But this is probably just a temporary arrangement, as Skill-Out is gunning for her." Accelerator sighed, while Misaka Worst glared at Uiharu.

"Why is Skill-Out coming for you?" hissed Misaka Worst. Uiharu began to tremble slightly.

"They think I burned down a lab with five of their men inside," stated Uiharu, rubbing her head at the headache that she was getting. It was due to her dark-self wanting to barge in and make a mess of things. Accelerator looked at her with disbelieving eyes.

"Why the hell would Skill-Out think some little girl like you burned down their lab? You look like the most you could is cry like a baby." Uiharu was about to smack Accelerator, but Yoshikawa stopped her and pulled her into a small bedroom.

"Look Uiharu, I know that Accelerator can be a righteous pain in the ass," she began. "But I don't want to see you hurt yourself trying to slap him. He can change the directions of vecotrs, so you would've broken your wrist." Uiharu could see Yoshikawa meant good, but Accelerator was on her nerve.

"Thankfully, it is late, and I am betting you want to sleep," stated Yoshikawa, and Uiharu nodded. "then you will sleep in this room with Last Order. Trust me, I wouldn't put you in the same room as Worst or Accelerator, that is a recipe for diasater." Uiharu smiled at Yoshikawa.

"Thanks, I hope that I don't cause anymore headaches for you or Yomikawa," said Uiharu. "Hopefully, Skill-Out will lose interest in me soon." Yoshikawa then turned around and left the room, letting Uiharu get undressed and into bed.

It took a while for Uiharu to fall asleep, as she was dealing with trying to calm herself down, and getting her dark-self out of her head. She fell asleep, and didn't notice Last Order crawl into bed.

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

Uiharu woke up in the morning, and saw Last Order was sitting at the end of the bed.

"Morning Last Order," said Uiharu. "So how are you doing?" Last Order smiled at Uiharu.

"Last Order is feeling very good. So what are you up to for today, ask Misaka Misaka." Uiharu thought. It was Saturday, and she didn't have anywhere to go. Her and Aki agreed that after blowing up on Kuroko, Uiharu needed to take a break and get her mind organized. So Uiharu really didn't have anything planned.

"I don't know," said Uiharu. "I don't have classes to go to at the moment, and I am not meeting my friends today." She sighed, wondering how Misaka Mikoto and Saten were feeling about her. Were they distancing themselves from her, or were the concerned for her? She shook herself, trying to get rid of the negative feelings.

"Well, would Uiharu like to hang out with Last Order today, asks Misaka Misaka." Uiharu shrugged.

"I got nothing better to do, but it probably be best to do it here, as I don't want to have you getting in trouble if I get into trouble." Last Order nodded and left to go to the kitchen. Uiharu quietly got dressed in a white shirt and blue skirt before heading to the kitchen.

In the kitchen, she saw Accelerator and Misaka Worst talking, with Accelerator getting annoyed. Last Order meanwhile was getting some orange juice for herself. Misaka Worst noticed Uiharu.

"Oh hey, the new girl is here," she muttered, much to Uiharu's annoyance. Uiharu walked past her and grabbed a glass and poured some juice into it. "What, going to ignore me, third rater?" mocked Worst.

"I honestly don't want to deal with you right now," said Uiharu. "I have been having a shitty few weeks, so I would greatly appreciate it if you guys would stop antagonizing me." This must've come off as a joke, because Worst began to laugh, while Accelerator looked at her as if she were a simpleton.

"Look, the three of us," Accelerator began, pointing at him, Worst, and Last Order. "Have been through a lot worse than being chased down by Skill-Out. So if you want some time to yourself, or if you want sympathy, then you have come to the wrong place." Uiharu glared at him, but she sighed. She turned to walk into the living room. She began to slow her breathing, trying to keep calm.

"keep it together Uiharu" she muttered to herself. "Just keep calm, like Aki instructed." She heard a glass shatter, but before Uiharu could turn around, she felt Accelerator grab her by the throat. His blood red eyes stared into Uiharu's and she felt scared.

"Did you just say AKI?!" he yelled at her. Uiharu began to shake. "You mean to tell me that after what I did to her, she was able to get up and train a piece of shit like you?!"

Uiharu looked at Accelerator, and realized that he was the one who injured Aki to the point of becoming a Level 3 despite having just become a Level 4. Uiharu felt a surge of heat flow through her body. She focused on the chocker, figuring it was useful for something. Uiharu focused raising the internal temperature, while making sure the exterior temperature was normal. She didn't want to burn Accelerator, just destroy his chocker. But he kept ranting.

"That fucking bitch made my life hell. Sure, she may have been a friend at one point, but that doesn't discount what she did with her uncle. She deserved those broken ribs I gave her, for they were a little piece of hell to remind her of her crimes!" Uiharu lost it at this point.

"Fuck you and your god damn sense of justice!" she yelled at Accelerator. "I trained with Aki, I became friends with her, and to hear you talk to her like that pisses me off!" Uiharu then finished burning the interior of the chocker. "So you have better give a good damn reason I don't burn your fucking ass right here right now for the hell my friend went through!"

But Uiharu then felt Accelerator slump into a pile. Uiharu was confused, but Last Order and Worst rushed to him. Last Order got him up.

"Accelerator, are you alright, asks Misaka Misaka tearfully." Uiharu saw the tears flow down Last Order's cheeks. Worst then ran into Accelerator's room and grabbed some batteries. Uiharu just stared at the scene, fearful of what Yomikawa would think if she saw this. Her dark-self appeared behind everyone.

_"Great, its been less than twelve hours, and you managed to incapacitate one of Yomikawa's charges. How much you want to bet you find yourself kicked onto the street?" _Uiharu looked down to see her right hand trembling uncontrollably, and felt like her head was about to split.

Worst managed to open the chocker, only to see the inside of the chocker completely melted. She glared at Uiharu, with a glint of anger in them.

"What the hell have you done to him?" Worst yelled. "He was Misaka's boyfriend, and now look at what you've done! Misaka will take pleasure in shocking you!" But Uiharu was only half-eartily listening, as her dark-self continued to torment her.

"_Well, it looks like this is where you will burn for hurting him. Remind me not to piss off multiple espers at Level Two." _Uiharu snapped, unable to control herself anymore.

"SHUT UP YOU FUCKING BITCH!" yelled Uiharu while clenching her head. She fell down. "Get the fuck out of my head you fucking bitch! I am the one in control, not you! I didn't mean to hurt him, but what else could I do you bitch?! Just leave me be, I care not if I die, it might be for the better at this point." Uiharu was laying on the floor, not paying attention to her surroundings. "My colleges at Judgment left me, my friends are keeping their distance, and I can't control my anger anymore. It would be better IF I DIE ALREADY!"

Uiharu was about to cook her head when she felt someone holding her. She paused, and saw it was Yomikawa. Yomikawa was pale in the face.

"Uiharu, don't do this to yourself," said Yomikawa, her voice cracking. "I don't know what is going on entirely, but this doesn't sound like you anymore. I know what kind of person you are, and you don't harm those around you for pleasure." She held Uiharu tight, who was shaking from a mixture of fear, anger, and regret.

Uiharu notice that Last Order had gotten a new chocker on Accelerator, who was still on the ground but at least now sitting. Both Misaka Worst and Last Order were behind Accelerator. She looked at Yomikawa.

"What are you going to do?" ask Uiharu. Yomikawa sighed, helping Uiharu up.

"This wasn't you fault, it was Accelerator's damn fault for pushing you to react the way you did. So nothing really, just on your own time, tell me what that was all about so I can help you." Yomikawa was about to leave when Uiharu grabbed her arm.

"I will tell you now," said Uiharu quietly. "If I don't say it now, I won't later." Uiharu then explained what happened at the lab, the hospital visit, her encounters with her dark-self, and the fight with Skill-Out. Yomikawa listened to it all, not interrupting, while Last Order, Misaka Worst, and Accelerator listened from the hallway. By the end Uiharu had stop shaking so badly, but now her voice was hoarse.

"So then this happened, and I snapped," explained Uiaru about the confrontation with Accelerator. Yomikawa sighed.

"So you have been dealing with this second mind a while now?" asked Yomikawa for confirmation. Uiharu nodded in silence. "Well, I don't have much experience with helping people deal with their inner demons, but I have helped those calm their minds down to where they can function normally. Alright, let's head to your room, so you can rest up. While I doubt the others will come in to harass you, if they do come in, either let them in or tell them to leave. I don't want you to lose your cool, just calm down and get your head straight."

Yomikawa left Uiharu in her room, and Uiharu laid on the bed, looking at the ceiling. She could feel her dark-self's presence. She could also feel the daggers that her dark-self was emitting.

_"You know I am right," _her dark-self snarl_. "You dealt with Accelerator the only way you could, and you came off on top. But now you are here, doubting your existence?! The world doesn't revolve around you, though it could!" _Uiharu sighed.

_"To hell with your views, I nearly got tortured by Worst. Didn't you see the malice in her eyes? And I saw the tears rolling down last Order's face, she is innocent, she doesn't deserve to see someone near her suffer. I deserve whatever they throw at me though." _He dark-self snickered.

_"So what? You don't know them, they deserved to suffer if they mess with you…" _Uiharu glanced over to where her dark-self was seated.

"_You disgust me, your very being makes me sick. While I was in danger, I didn't deserve to leave Accelerator in a state of a mindless beast. Only a monster would approve of what I did." _Uiharu then rolled over, looking at a picture of Accelerator, Last Order, and Worst. They seemed happy, at least the girls did, Accelerator seemed indifferent.

_"If you force your mind onto me again, I will end both of our existence," _threatened Uiharu. Her dark-self stood up, back to the wall.

_ "You wouldn't, you too much of a coward to do it yourself." _Uiharu laughed.

"_True, but I could always just walk up to Worst and attack her. I doubt she would hold back on me, not after what I did to Accelerator." _Her dark-self lowered her head_._

_ "Fine, you win this time, only because you took the coward's path. Next time though, you will beg me to take over to spare your mind the pain." _He dark-self then left the room, leaving Uiharu to close her eyes and fall into sleep.

Uiharu woke up a couple of hours later, and realized it was four in the evening. She rolled over, and peered at the ceiling. She wanted to get off the bed, but she feared going out of the room and dealing with the wrath of Worst and Accelerator. She merely sat up when Last order came in. Last Order's eyes were red from crying. Uiharu sighed.

"Look, Last Order, I am sorry for hurting Accelerator," said Uiharu. "It's just I can't control my power enough to restrain myself, and my fears got to the better of me." She saw Last Order hanging near the door. "I can understand if you hate me, but I truly didn't mean to do that to Accelerator, I didn't want to burn him with my powers, and I didn't think that chocker was that important to his exsistence."

Uiharu saw that Last Order didn't move, so she gave up. She rolled onto her side, laying on the bed. She couldn't help the feeling that was growing in her, the feeling of remorse. She was tired of being judge by others for her negative actions, so Last Order's silence were digging daggers into Uiharu's soul.

"Do you hate me enough to not respond?" asked Uiharu, not expecting an answer.

"Misaka isn't sure what to think of Uiharu, says Misaka Misaka. Misaka understands Uiharu's actions, but misaka is fearful of her, states Misaka Misaka." That hurt worse than any other statement Uiharu was expecting. She looked at her right hand; she was feared by Last Order. There was no doubt that other would think the same of her.

"Fair enough," said Uiharu, trying to keep from crying. "I understand." But Uiharu heard Last Order approached her. Last Order knelt to face Uiharu.

"Misaka can see that you are honest, says Misaka Misaka. But Misaka doesn't understand why Uiharu closes herself off." Uiharu felt a tear roll down her cheek. She rolled over, trying to avoid Last Order's gaze.

"I try to be independent of others, as to not bring others into my troubles. But now, everyone is suffering due to my very existence. So please, leave me be, let me be alone to deal with my faults." Uiharu didn't hear Last Order speak. She thought Last Order was going to leave when Last Order hugged her. Uiharu saw Last Order face her again.

"But you aren't alone, Misaka is here, and Misaka is willingly to help if it keeps you from hurting others, especially those close to Misaka, states Misaka Misaka." Uiharu wept a bit.

"Thank you," was all Uiharu could say then. She just laid there, letting Last Order hug her. But a couple of minutes later, she heard Yomikawa call out.

"Last Order, Uiharu, dinner is in the kitchen if you are hungry." Last Order looked at Uiharu, who nodded, knowing why Last Order was looking at her. She got up and headed to the kitchen wearily. She could see Accelerator and Worst sitting in the living room, eating their meal. Uiharu sat at the table where there was salmon, a baked potato, and some corn.

Uiharu began to dig in, hoping for Worst and Accelerator not to say anything. She saw Last Order digging into her salmon eagerly, and Yomikawa was drinking a glass of Sake. Yoshikawa was not seen, so Uiharu assumed she was either in another room or was out.

Uiharu just finished her corn and was about to dig into the potato when Accelerator spoke.

"Oi, what exactly did you do to my chocker?" he asked, with a hint of anger. Uiharu regretted leaving the room, knowing somehow this wasn't going to end well. She turned to him, and saw Worst and Accelerator glaring at her.

"I increased the internal temperature of your chocker while keeping your skin next to your chocker cool," stated Uiharu, hoping that explanation was sufficient. She turned around to eat her potato. But Accelerator wasn't finished.

"Bull shit, there is no way you got past my reflection," stated Accelerator. "I could stop an atom bomb from killing me, so I don't buy it. What did you really do?" Uiharu pushed away her plate, knowing this was going to take a while.

"As I explained, I increased the temperature in the chocker to over thirteen hundred kelvin while keeping your skin at current air temperature. Whether or not it wouldn't get around your reflection, I wouldn't know, I don't understand what your ability is, so I couldn't give an explanation to why you could stop your chocker from melting. My guess is that you didn't know what my ability is so you couldn't block it. It isn't very noticeable, my ability."

Accelerator growled, but Yomikawa's glare kept him from doing anything stupid.

"Fine, then what is your ability level and ability called?" he asked. Uiharu sigh.

"Alright, only if you tell me your ability and level afterwards." Acclerator knodded so uiharu continued. "I am a Level Two Thermal Presence esper." From the look on Worst and Accelerator's face, she must've said something wrong, for both were twitching in confusion. Yomikawa however laughed.

"Wow, the number 1 esper of Academy City, beaten by a Level Two girl. That is almost worse than being beaten by a Level Zero boy." Yomikawa kept laughing while Accelerator glared at Uiharu.

"There is no way that a third rater such as yourself beat me, a Level 5 'Vector Change', the number 1 of the Level five espers, with only being a Level 2." Uiharu shrugged.

"Huh, well, I didn't beat you, I merely melted your chocker which rendered you, I don't know, mindless." Uiharu then turned back to her dinner, and began to dig into the potato.

Accelerator kept staring at her, annoyed with her careless attitude. He got up and sat in front of Uiharu. Last Order and Yomikawa tensed up, preparing to pull the two off of each other if something happened.

"So you mean to tell me that you really are Level Two, and you managed to beat me, with no explanation other than I was ignorant of your ability?" Accelerator was seething, annoyed that he was beaten by some girl. Uiharu then laid her fork down, knowing that she wouldn't get time to eat with him hounding her.

"Yes, what else do you want?" asked Uiharu, annoyed she wasn't getting to eat. "I can't give any other explanation other than that." Accelerator clenched his fist.

"Then why are you running from Skill-Out then?" he asked. Uiharu felt her anger flaring up, but she remained cooled, thinking that he was merely asking a question.

"Because I can't control my mind at the moment. My other mind would easily burn them in their place in cold blood, while I don't want to have blood on my hand. So if that isn't a reason enough for you, then I don't know what else I can say." Uiharu looked at Accelerator, who was annoyed, though he seemed to relax a little. He sat back in his chair.

"Fine, then why does the other mind appear?" he asked. He suspected something was up, but he wasn't sure what though.

"The other mind, I don't think that term is right, wants to get me to be all powerful, self-centered, and focused on myself instead of others. Aki says it is from SPS." Uiharu took a drink of water, not seeing Accelerator clenching his fist.

"Do you know who Aki really is?" asked Accelerator. "Because her name is Kihara Aki, and she became a person I grew to despise." Uiharu dropped her glass, paling at the mention of Kihara. She thought of the poltergeist incident, and looked at the floor.

"Y-You must be wrong," stammered Uiharu. "Aki isn't like a Kihara I know. She isn't willing to exploit child errors, she isn't willingly to pump me full of drugs, and she genuinely cares for me." Uiharu then felt a chill go down her spine, remembering how she trusted Therestina before she revealed her true intentions. Was Aki roping her along?

Accelerator was smirking when he saw Last Order glaring at him. She was annoyed that he was making Uiharu feel like crap, so he sighed.

"Look, I don't know how she is today, but back then, she made my life a living hell," said Accelerator, hoping to defuse the situation before Last Order denied him access to the Misaka Network and slap him. "So I thought it be fair to give you fair warning about her." Accelerator then saw Last Order calm down. Seriously, why was Last Order like a cattle master when she got angry at him?

Uiharu sighed, and pushed away her plate. She lost her appetite, and she was doubting her friend Aki's intentions, which made her feel sick.

"Well, alright. I just thought I could Level Up without having to enter some hellish program or the use of X1," muttered Uiharu. "Aki seemed nice, and so I trusted her. She helped me out when I got ambushed by some Skill-Out during the riots.." Accelerator stopped her.

"X1? What the hell is that?" he asked. Uiaru shrugged.

"X1 is a drug that Skill-Out was going to sell. It is supposed to increase an esper's level in a fraction of the time, but it had horrible side effects. I got drugged with it in the lab, the one Skill-Out thought I burnt to the ground. It gave me horrible delusional, hell it probably made it so I saw my other personality as though it was in the same room."

Accelerator sighed. It reminded him of another drug, one that Kihara Amata gave him, but that was ages ago, and it was tailored made for him. He shrugged the feeling off. He was about to get up with Yomikawa spoke up.

"Accelerator, since you have had experience with training, why not you teach Uiharu to control her emotions, she is bound to get bored here while she waits to get Skill-Out off her tail." Uiharu blanched.

"What?! But I have classes, and…" Yomikawa shook her head.

"I got ahold of your teacher and informed him of your situation. So you won't be travelling to and from school, instead I figured I would teach you, but after today's little incident, I figured Accelerator would be better off teaching you." Accelerator glared at Yomikawa, and Uiharu paled at the thought of being trained by the guy who wanted nothing more than to show her who was in control. But from Yomikawa's voice, it was already decided.

"Fine, can I just go to my room for my last solace of humanity?" pleaded Uiharu. Yomikawa chuckled.

"Yeah, because I bet Accelerator is going to work your ass off." Uiharu groaned and headed to bed, despite it being only around six in the evening.

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**Author's note: Not a lot of character jumping, but hey, it was needed. How will Accelerator train Uiharu? But anyways, please review, follow, and favorite the story. Reader input is always accepted and desired.**


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: New mentor, new enemies

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Uiharu woke up to a cane pushing on her ribs. Not only did this hurt, but it annoyed Uiharu to no end.

"What the hell are you doing?" she said, pulling the covers over her head. "Can't you see that I am still sleeping?" She heard Accelerator sigh.

"I sleep in late, but you set the record," he muttered. "I have been up since noon, and it's already three in the afternoon." Uiharu opened her eye to confirm the time. Indeed, it was three. She rolled out of bed wearily, and saw Last Order and Worst hovering at the door. She was still in her night clothes.

"You mind?" she glared at Accelerator while pointing at the door. "I need to get dressed." Accelerator and the others left. Uiharu was getting her skirt on when her dark-self decided to drop on by.

_"Must you wear those stupid skirts?" _she asked. Uiharu didn't bother to turn to her_. _

_ "I have gotten used to wearing skirts, and they aren't that terrible. Now would you please as well leave me?" _Her dark-self grinned, looking down at Uiharu_._

_ "Hell no. I want to watch you get your ass whipped by Accelerator. My guess is he will force you to do things that will inevitable get yourself hurt." _Uiharu cringed at the thought. She wasn't in the best shape, but her training with Aki did help a bit. So she could do some exercise, just not a lot_._

_ "Why did you have to remind me?" _asked Uiharu_. "Never mind actually, I don't want to know. But I thought we agreed you leave me be. So why are you backing out of your deal?" her-dark-self began to tap her foot on the ground._

_ "We agreed to me not taking your mind over; not me popping in from time to time to see if you changed your mind. But I guess it will have to wait. Accelerator is no doubt waiting for you." _Her dark-self helped herself to Uiharu's bed, which annoyed Uiharu for some reason. It wasn't even her bed, it was Last Order's bed.

She came out to the kitchen, and saw Accelerator getting a coffee from the fidge. Uiharu sat at the counter and saw a small plate with bacon and toast. She began to eat, noting it was cold, but she didn't care, as she figured her day would be long and dull.

She could tell Worst was glaring at her, but at this point Uiharu didn't care. But Last Order was happily watching the news, and Uiharu saw. Apparently, district 23 had launched a new satellite that was to replace the tree diagram. Uiharu wondered what caused the original to be destroyed, and no official report cited the cause. She turned to Accelerator.

"So when do I start?" she asked, and Accelerator cracked his knuckles.

"Soon, but first I want to change my battery," he said, tapping his chocker. "I don't want to train you with a dead battery. Who knows what sort of damage you could do if you lose your composure?" Uiharu began to close her fist, but stopped, trying to not lose her cool at his doubts.

Accelerator left to get the new battery, using the cane to steady himself. When Accelerator left, Worst came up to Uiharu. She grabbed her arm.

"If you dare hurt him again, I will not stop myself from extracting all the pain onto to you," she warned. "Misaka will not tolerate any harm you bring to her boyfriend." Uiharu nodded, wondering if Worst was really Accelerator's girlfriend, because he never treated her as one. When Accelerator came back in, Worst stepped back, but kept glaring at Uiharu.

"C'mon brat, I don't have all day," stated Accelerator. Uiharu felt a prick of anger pop up. She hated being called a brat, only her parents, which weren't in her life much, if ever anymore, called her that. But she followed him out of the flat and they after nearly half an hour of travel arrived at the railyard.

When they got a bit into the railyard, Accelerator pointed to a broken railway line.

"Brat, if you really can adjust the temperature of an object, I want you to melt this piece of railway line." Uiharu looked at him with disbelief. Railway lines were made of high carbon steel, and thus that was beyond her capability. But when she was about to spek up, Accelerator glared at her.

"Well, what are you waiting for brat?" Uiharu then turned her attention to the railway line, and began thinking about an iron furnace. She knew that iron foundries were hotter than the melting point of steel, and she focused on a particular segment of the line.

Slowly, she saw that her point of concentration began to burn white hot, but she then began to focus on the entire line, while maintaining the air temperature around the line down to keep from burning anything else. Soon, after a minute, the entire line was white hot, but it had yet to melt. So Uiharu changed tack, allowing the air about a foot out of the line to get hot. Soon she saw her original point began to drip with molten steel, which meant that in another minute or so the line would be melted.

After a total of five minutes, the line had melted, leaving a huge pool of molten steel burning into the ground. Uiharu sighed, as the entire process had drained her greatly. She sat down, rubbing her head.

"Was there a reason to doing that?" asked Uiharu. "If you wanted to know what I could melt, I would've just told you. Accelerator however looked at Uiharu, with a slight look of hunger. It sent a chill down Uiharu's spine.

"Well, I see it took you, five minutes, to melt a railway line." He smirked. "How pathetic, I could have it melted within second. Watch this." He began to take control of the wind pattern, and soon Uiharu felt that wind current spinning rapidly over his head. Uiharu then saw that ball of wind begin to create a super-heated mass of energy above his head. He then slammed the energy into a railway line, and completely melted it. Uiharu was left speechless. She saw him bow down to face her.

"This is what I can do, amongst many other things. I can create plasma, I can create earthquakes, I can manipulate all vectors, so for you to melt my chocker is pretty pathetic!" he yelled the last bit. "So don't consider yourself powerful, I have wrestled with many of the other Level fives and shown them who was in control. Not even Misaka Mikoto could beat me." Uiharu felt her jaw go slack. Her best friend, who she considered very powerful, couldn't beat him. He got up.

"I don't know how exactly powerful you will get, but I doubt you could ever be more powerful than me," he said, reaching for his cane. "Well, Yomikawa is going to be back soon, and if she sees you out here, while I doubt she will be angry, I don't want to listen to a bitch fest when I get back. Lets head back brat." Uiharu followed a bit behind him, and sighed.

She was thinking about her friend Aki, and wondered if the entire purpose of training Uiharu was to get back at Accelerator. She shook the thought, as that seemed petty, which she knew Aki wasn't. But from Accelerator's reaction to Aki's name, she must've done something to upset him.

"Accelerator, what did Aki do to you?" asked Uiharu. Accelerator stop in his tracks, sighing. He turned to Uiharu, and his eyes burned with anger.

"I am only going to explain this once, so you better be listening." Uiharu nodded. "Fine. I was training with this bastard, and this bastard's niece was Aki. We used to be friends, but when we got to Level Four, I began a new training program, and it caused me to undergo a personality shift. She assisted that asshole by exploiting my emotions, and caused me to become unstable. When I finally was back to normal, or whatever you want to call it, she called me a monster, and we had a fight. She ended up with several broken ribs, and she ended up becoming a Level 3 due to the pain." He paused, trying not to lose his anger.

"So her uncle comes downs, and sees that she got beaten to a pulp. He congratulates her for making me stronger, and it was that day I became a Level Five. I was told by the bastard Amata that our friendship was a ruse, something to break some barrier to made it harder for me to become a Level Five. So that is why I hate Kihara Aki. All Kiharas are the same; manipulative scientist who love nothing better than to experiment on people."

Uiharu was taken aback. This didn't sound like Aki, but she knew from Accelerator's eyes he wasn't lying. She felt a pang of regret of ever knowing Aki, and soon she became quiet. She followed Accelerator to the flat. When she got in, Yomikawa was in the door, hands on her hips.

"Where have you been Uiharu?" she asked. Accelerator quietly got to the couch. "And you Accelerator, why did you let her out?" Accelerator glared at Yomikawa. Uiharu sighed.

"I was out with Accelerator, training." She said. Yomikawa ran her hand through her hair.

"Fair enough, I did say you were to be trained by him," she walked into the kitchen. "So what did you do then?" She must've calmed down, probably realizing that Accelerator was with her. Uiharu shrugged.

"He had me melt a piece of railway line, and after I did that he did it much faster and mocked me." Uiharu went to the fridge and got some water. Yomikawa smirked.

"Yeah, he will do that," she said. "But take it from me, he does actually have a heart, at least for Last Order and Worst." Uiharu glanced at Accelerator in the living room. He was talking with Last Order, who was in his lap, and Worst was eyeing Accelerator. She had to ask.

"So um, are him and Worst actually dating, or does she say that to be annoying?" asked Uiharu, looking at Yomikawa. Yomikawa had to surprises the urge to laugh.

"No, though she wish they were," she stated. "But enough about them, you hungry?" Uiharu nodded. Yomikawa made a simple meal of rice and chicken. She gave Uiharu a plate to eat, and while Uiharu was eating, Yoshikawa walked in. she looked stressed and tired.

"Hi guys," said Yoshikawa. Everyone nodded at her. Uiharu looked at her.

"So what do you do most of the time?" asked Uiharu to Yoshikawa. Yoshikawa laughed.

"Until today, I was a freeloader, but now I am working at the same school as Yomikawa, though I just finished the paperwork today." Uiharu was surprised, not at Yoshikawa being a teacher, but that she was a freeloader.

Uiharu finished eating, and then went to her room and pulled out her PDA. She looked up on any news of Skill-Out, though there was nothing to speak of. She sighed, and began to ponder how long it would be before she could go back to seeing her friends and go back to classes. She was about to try and get some sleep when she saw Last Order come in.

"What's up Last Order?" Uiharu asked. Last Order smiled, and got on the end of the bed.

"So Uiharu, what are you up to, ask Misaka Misaka hoping for something fun to do." Uiharu laughed, thinking how Last Order spoke.

"Not much actually. Since I don't have homework to work on, or friends to hang out with, or my computer, I don't have much I can do." She saw Last Order's face fell.

"Ah, well would Uiharu like to play a game with Misaka, ask Misaka Misaka hoping to get Uiharu's approval." Uiharu shrugged.

"Sure, it beat going to bed now." She said. She ended up playing with Last Order for a couple of hours before they both got tired.

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It was nearly midnight in the flat, but Accelerator was up with only Yoshikawa for company. Worst got sick, a side effect of her constant negative emotions clashing with her diet, and Yomikawa got drunk and was sleeping off the booze.

"So Accelerator, what do you think of Uiharu, all things considered?" asked Yoshikawa. Accelerator sighed.

"Tsk, she is a bit annoying, naïve, until she gets into a confrontation. Then she lose control and eventually breaks down on herself." He was drinking a coffee. While the world was unpredictable, coffee was his one constant. Yoshikawa was typing on her computer.

"Yeah, about that, do you really think she has SPS, as she claims?" Accelerator shrugged.

"Probably does, apparently after she burnt the interior of my chocker, she lost her mind and went out of control, imploding on herself. I saw she is easily agitated over little things, so I wouldn't put it past her having SPS." Yoshikawa took a sip of coffee.

"Alright, fair enough, but what do you think about her ability?" Accelerator fiddled with his coffee for a little bit, thinking before he answered.

"I find it odd that she is considered only a Level Two, despite being able to melt a railway line in five minutes. Makes me wonder why a Kihara, especially Aki is interested in her. The Kiharas always have some ulterior motive to their actions, and I doubt Aki has changed one bit."

He got up, but Yoshikawa stopped him.

"Listen," she began. "Can you get some actual data with Uiharu when you train her, I want to run some new simulations using the new Tree Diagram." Accelerator paused.

"Why on Earth would I want to do that, don't you remember what the last Tree Diagram did?" It formed the basic of the Level Six Shift project, in which Accelerator killed 10031 clones before being stopped. Yoshikawa nodded.

"I do remember, but I agree with your assessment on Uiharu. If she does have SPS at Level Two, and she can already melt steel, then what can she do at Level Five?" Accelerator looked at her.

"What are you getting at?" asked Accelerator. Yoshikawa looked at him, with a slight hint of fear in her tone.

"As you stated, the Kiharas don't act randomly. Why would they be interested in a low level esper? I think they already run the simulations and saw something in Uiharu that they desperately want. Thus I need your help to gather data. Use Last Order and the network to analyze her ability to the fullest, I don't want someone taking advantage of her if she could become powerful."

Accelerator nodded, and he headed to his bed room. Worst was already asleep, so he crawled in, pondering what the hell the Kiharas were up to. He fell asleep soon, hoping like hell that Worst didn't try anything funny.

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

Misaka, Saten, Kuroko, and Aki were in a diner, worried about Uiharu. The attack on her by Skill-Out was a rude awakening, though Aki seemed more calm than others. Misaka figured that being a Kihara made her more used to the thought of being hunted.

"I wonder when we will be able to see Uiharu again?" asked Saten while playing with her meal. Kuroko sighed.

"Until Skill-Out gives up on hunting down Uiharu, and that could take months," stated Kuroko. "Well, I am pursuing leads to cut the time Uiharu is in protective care down." Aki nodded.

"That is good to hear. I am waiting to hear from someone if he has managed to ensure my family either loses interest in Uiharu or doesn't get interested." Misaka knew she was referring to Takeru, and she shuddered at the thought of him helping them with Uiharu. Kuroko however got a call. She excused herself, leaving Saten, Misaka, and Aki to talk amongst themselves.

"So Aki, what are you going to do in the meantime?" Saten inquired. Aki sighed.

"I made a deal with my wretched cousin. Misaka met him, and she can attest to his behavior. But while Uiharu is in care, I got to fulfill my end of the bargain." She looked up at Saten, and her face paled a bit. "I got to get him the method to make X1." Saten and Misaka blanched at this revelation.

"Why on Earth would you do that?" Misaka hissed, making sure Kuroko didn't hear this. "You cousin is like the son of satan."

"I needed some way to ensure he would help us get rid of my family's interest in Uiharu, and his price was X1." Saten glared at Aki.

"How bad can your family be to basically give your cousin a super drug?!" Saten was seething. Aki cleanched onto her hair.

"I told Misaka, but now I am telling you; I am a Kihara. Now do you think I am overreacting?" Saten fell silent only for a minute before she slapped Aki.

"Why the hell didn't you tell us? Does Uiharu know?!" Saten demanded answers. Aki shook her head.

"No, Uiharu doesn't know I am a Kihara, and technically, I am not. I am only a Kihara by name, as I ended up leaving the family behind me. I couldn't stand what they did to a friend, and my unwittingly role in the entire event." Saten sat down, still fuming but less so.

"So what purpose would your family have in being interested in Uiharu?" asked Saten. Misaka nodded, as it would be odd for the family to be interested in a Level Two esper. Aki shrugged.

"I don't have a clue. I am having my cousin Takeru take care of the family, hopefully he will sabotage whatever plans they had in mind. But I haven't heard anything from him since the yesterday. Hopefully he will take his sweet time, I don't know how I am getting the X1 drug to him." Misaka looked at Aki.

"Who says you have to give him the correct X1 formula?" suggested Misaka. "Why not give him a dummy that looked like the real deal that when he tries to make it has a critical flaw." Aki paused, thinking it might work. But there was a problem.

"How will we fake the X1 formula to make it useless to him, as he has an understanding of pharmaceutical drugs?" misaka looked at Saten, and they nodded.

"We know a doctor who has a better understanding of medicine than anyone else we could know. As a result, we could give him the formula, with Judgment's help of course, and he could tweak it enough to where it doesn't even work anymore." Aki liked the sound of screwing over her cousin, but she feared his retribution.

"While I am glad to have you guys helping me, I am fearful of my cousin's wrath, so give me time to think it over." Misaka nodded, and just then Kuroko came back over. She looked like she wanted to cry.

"Well, this sucks, I got to go to the office, apperantly Judgment is going to organize a raid on several Skill-Out hideouts," stated Kuroko. "So for the next couple of weeks, I will be very busy and most likely will have to plead with the dorm mistress for forgiveness." Misaka cringed; she knew Kuroko was going to have a broken neck for years.

"Best of luck with the raids," said Saten. "I hope this means we can hang out soon with Uiharu." Kuroko nodded before teleporting. Saten then turned to Aki.

"Alright, is there anything I can do to help out with? Because I feel that I am the only one not doing anything to help Uiharu!" Aki chuckled, wondering how Saten could be so pumped up even though it could mean her getting hurt.

"I don't know Saten. I got to deal with my family; K

uroko is dealing with Skill-Out, along with Anti-Skill. Misaka is helping me from time to time, but there isn't much else we can do to help her out." Saten slumped in her seat.

"This sucks, you know that? Being unable to help a friend because you can't see her, nor are able to take on the people harassing her. It doesn't sit well with me. I just want to help out however I can." Aki smiled at Saten.

"I know that feeling, but right now, you have to sit tight." Aki turned her attention to Misaka. "And Misaka, if I need someone to hack into some computers, can I ask for you help?" Misaka nodded.

"Sure, if it is for Uiharu. Also, I am going to take strolls near Skill-Out, and see if I can draw their attention." Saten stared at Misaka, but Aki grinned. Misaka would be able to deal with Skill-Out without issue.

"Just don't go over your head, alright." Aki looked at her watch. She sighed. "Well, I have to go, I will keep you guys in the loop, alright?" Both Saten and Misaka nodded in approval. Aki then left the diner, wondering what Takeru was up to.

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

"Please! Don't hurt me!" screamed a lab assistant. But he was thrown against a computer console. He scrambled to get up, but he was kicked in the back down onto the ground.

"Did I give you piece of shit permission to stand?" growled Takeru. He was in a lab that the Kiharas were using, one he determined from previous experience and the data from Katsu's van was the lab that the Kiharas were using to keep tabs on Uiharu. She sighed, wondering if Uiharu was worth the trouble the Kiharas were going through. He sure as shit knew that X1 was worth it though.

"Now, where is the central computer running the simulations on a certain esper?" snarled Takeru, intimidating the lab assistant.

"Second floor, third door on the right. But you aren't going to enter, it has a ten digit password." Takeru chuckled, before he slammed his foot onto the assistant's face, knocking him out.

"As if that is going to stop me." Takeru then headed up the stairs, and saw the door in question. He quickly kicked the door down, and entered. He saw the central computer was in the middle of the room. He grinned, and walked up to the computer. He thankfully knew the password to enter the computer, as it was on the hard drive in Katsu's van.

In three minutes, he had access to the central computer, and all the data the Kiharas had on Uiharu. Or that is what he thought, until he checked the file logs and notice the data on her Level Model was missing. Cursing his luck, Takeru checked the other files to see what they revealed. He was scrolling when he heard footstep approaching.

He knew from the foot pattern that it was at least five men in combat shoes. _Hound Dog, _he thought, and pulled out a Colt .45 that he brought just in case. He was skeptical about it being useful, as Hound Dog soldiers wore top of the line combat armor, and the .45 caliber round wasn't going to be able to punch through it.

He crept to the corner of the door way, and peered at the hallway. He could see three soldiers covering the hall way, taking cover at the stairwell, while two others advance to the door. He glared, and knew he needed to confuse them just long enough to give him the advantage. But he needed to let the two men enter the room before he opened up on them. He hug tight to the wall, and turned off the light.

The two men outside turned on the flashlights on their rifles, and they entered the room. Takeru was prepared. When they breached, Takeru grabbed the rifle from the guy clearing left, and pulled the rifle barrel past him. He aim his colt at the guy's head, and pulled the trigger. The guy's head exploded into a red Mist. Not waiting for a response, Takeru aimed at the second man, also in the head. He missed, which allowed the man to get farther away and ready his rifle.

Takeru sprinted to the man, and kicked the rifle out of his hand. The soldier then grabbed a knife and lunged at Takeru. Takeru side stepped to the left, and took aim again. The soldier however reacted, and kept thrusting his knife at Takeru, trying to prevent him from using his colt. Takeru noticed however more men coming, and decided to end this short fight.

He grabbed the soldier's arm when he thrusted yet again, and broke his arm. The soldier collapsed, which allowed Takeru to execute the soldier with a bullet to the back of the head. Takeru knew time was limited and grabbed the assault rifle and a flash bang grenade off the soldier. He knew he only had ten seconds to react now.

He threw the flashbang out into the hall way. He then covered his ears and turned away. The soldiers in the hall way, not expecting the flashbang, turned to cover themselves. The grenade explode, and Takeru took this moment to push his advantage.

He ran into the hall way, and began screwing with the mind of one of the soldiers, causing him to open fire on his comrades. He killed one of the soldiers before the third kill him. But when in that time, Takeru had lined up his shot and fired a three round burst center of mass in the final soldier. The soldier fell, gurgling on his own blood.

Takeru approached him, and executed him. He smirked. This was a bit of fun, but nothing like what he expected it would be to have a fist fight with Accelerator. He sighed, and was about to head out when he heard one of the radios the soldiers had beep. He turned around and picked it up.

"Oi, who the hell organized this strike?" demanded Takeru. He then heard a voice he never expected.

"Hello kihara Takeru," said the voice on the other end. Takeru began to sweat profusely. _Could it really be…_

"I am guessing you were here on Aki's behalf, trying to remove the files on Uiharu and cause months of planning and research to go to waste, thus making us lose interest in the girl?" asked the voice. Takeru clenched the radio, almost cracking it.

"Yes, that was my plan, but it turns out you guys had already removed the data relating to Uiharu. But I doubted it would be enough to get you off Aki's back." Stated Takeru, almost certain of who the voice on the other side was; Kihara Gensei, the head of the Kihara family.

"You are right," continued Gensei. "It wouldn't be enough to lose interest in Uiharu Kazari. Our testing on the new Tree Diagram, which is faster and more accurate than the original, has made it too clear that Uiharu is too valuable of an asset to lose, especially when she becomes Level Five." Takeru sighed; it wouldn't be easy to remove the Kiharas if they had a evidence that Uiharu was useful to their plans. But he need more information.

"So what makes Uiharu so useful?" asked Takeru, thinking that the old man would be easy to pry. But Gensei laughed.

"You think I am going to tell you, as you are working with Aki? I think not. However, I know of your price. If you agree to stop interfering with our plans, I will hand over the formula to X1, as well as give you the funds to being manufacturing X1 on the scale to let you retire in a few years." Takeru felt out played.

"And if I refuse?" asked Takeru.

"Then I will keep sending Hound Dog to kill you, though I think it would be a waste of funds and lives." Takeru sighed.

"How long have I to decide?" he asked, feeling pressured. Gensei chuckled.

"I will give you a month to decide, though if you interact with Aki before then, I will terminate the agreement and will send Hound Dog to pursue you." Takeru then heard the radio go dead. He looked at the men, and began to calculate the best course of actions.

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

**Author's Note: Wow, this is my longest chapter yet. And it has decent character changing. The next chapter will be focused on Uiharu's training, the Judgment raids on Skill-Out, and we get to see how Katsu and Romanov are doing. **


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16: Shot in the Dark

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

Uiharu began to breathe deeply, as Accelerator was having her run around the rail yard while trying to avoid his 'attacks'. These mostly were him flinging massive steel beams at her. She knew that his training was to increase her endurance while under pressure, but at times, it was a bit much to handle.

She began to weave between the beams, making sure not to lose her footing. She was just meters away from the ending point when Accelerator propelled five beams at her. Uiharu stopped and back tracked, making damn sure not a single one hit her. She paused, and saw the beams stopped coming. She ran to the end, breathing rapidly and without much control. She saw Accelerator glare at her.

"Oi, why did you back up?" he growled at her. Uiharu took a deep breath, trying to control her breathing long enough to answer.

"There were five beams, and I thought it was better to back up than to risk getting hit by one," reasoned Uiharu, but this only served to annoy Accelerator even more.

"Oh, then why didn't you simply melt the beams? I have seen you do it, why not then?!" Uiharu felt her anger boiling up. She glared at him, her eyes shining bright with rage.

"You know damn well why I didn't! It still takes me over a two minutes to melt the steel, and that would've ensured I would've been crushed by the beams!" She stared Accelerator down, wanting to punch him with all her might. But Accelerator laughed.

"It that so? If so, then how can you possibly get any more powerful?!" he retorted. "If you define your reality by your current limits, then you shall never be able to become a Level Five, let alone beat me!" He laughed, his red eyes piercing Uiharu's soul. His arrogance got to Uiharu, and she snapped.

She decided to superheat the air below him, while super cooling the air above him. Accelerator note this new development.

"Oh, what's this, trying to create an artificial weather system by manipulating the air temperature to have colliding air masses? So what, I can simply reflect the results." But Uiharu quit paying attention to him, as she began to heat the ground around Accelerator. Soon the earth turned to lava, and had surrounded Accelerator. Uiharu felt a smirk form on her face.

"This is what I was planning," began Uiharu, getting more and more earth mixing into her lava flow, creeping on Accelerator's patch. "By preventing you from properly calculating wind currents, you can't fly away from my works, which is the lava the I doubt you can do much against." She laughed, a cold cruel laugh, desiring to see Accelerator beg for pity.

But Accelerator did no such thing, merely counting on his fingers. He got to three before he smirked.

"I am guessing that you are concentrating on three different systems, right?" he asked, but before Uiharu could answer, he chuckled. "So right now I doubt you have much ability to react to a new threat!"

He then flicked a piece of rope at her leg, and she lost her footing. She crumpled onto the ground, and soon realized that all her systems began to cease. The air masses began to return to normal, and the lava began to cool down. Accelerator then pushes himself off the Earth and land next to Uiharu, towering over her fallen figure.

"This is why you can't beat me, because right now, you are too weak and unable to control all the systems you created. While that is the first time someone thought to try that, the problem is that I am always thinking of how to beat anyone." He glared at Uiharu.

"C'mon, better get to the flat," he turned to head back. "If you try and attack me again, I will not hesitate to break your arm. You need to control yourself lest you wish to never have control over your ability."

Uiharu cursed herself under her breath, for losing control and lashing out. She could feel her dark-self's presence, which had stopped appearing to her as a person and began to enter her mind, quietly and without her notice most of the time. She cursed herself before getting up and dusting herself off.

She began to follow Accelerator, annoyed with her progress in the last three weeks. While Yomikawa, Last Order, and Yoshikawa were praising her for her progress (being able to affect items farther out, being able to get the objects temperature a bit hot and colder, and being able to work out new functions of her ability), she cursed her luck in that even with her progress, she wasn't anywhere near as powerful as to challenge Accelerator in a fair fight.

She was walking slightly behind Accelerator, thinking of ways of getting back at him for mocking her so openly. But by the time she got to the flat with Accelerator, she hadn't come up with any new ideas. He ability, Thermal Presence, was slow to react and requires her to get the jump on others. She compared her ability to others, and recognized that while it was decently powerful, it wasn't in the same park as Misaka's ability, and not in the same star system as Accelerator's.

She headed to the bathroom, and turned the shower on. She made sure to lock the door, while stripping. She got into the shower and let the hot water run over her body. She leaned against the wall, trying to think. She hated her ability; it was strong against non-espers, but weak against espers. She peered at the water drain, thinking how her ability had, unless she concentrated enough, a flaw; if she wasn't careful, the temperature of the object would radiate outwards, thus weakening her ability. It was annoying to have put so much time only to have it weaken.

She sighed, and was about to sit down in the puddle of water that formed around the drain when there was a knock at the door.

"Uiharu, everything okay?' asked Yomikawa. "You've been in there for over fifteen minutes." Uiharu stood up a bit quickly, and almost lost her footing. She steady herself, and turned the water off.

"Sorry Yomikawa, I got lost in thought," she said. "I will get out now, just let me dry and get dressed." She heard a Yomikawa walk away, so Uiharu dried herself and put on her white shirt and blue skirt. She was about to put her flower headband when she stopped. She looked at it, thinking about how ridiculous it was of her to keep wearing it. It didn't bring her luck, it got her hell by her teachers and friends alike, and it began to anger her.

She took one last look at it, before she began to burn the headband. She made sure to have the fan in the bathroom going, and soon she burnt the flowers and turned the headband to ash. She let the ash fall into the garbage bin, and washed her hands, to remove the ash from her hands.

She walked out of the bathroom, and went to the living room. She saw that for once Accelerator, Last Order, and Misaka Worst were not in the room. She sat on the couch, and turned the TV on. The news was on, and it was talking about the raids by Judgement and Anti-Skill.

"_Last night, another safehouse used by the anti-esper organization Skill-Out was raided last night. With all members in the safe-house captured and no property damage reported, the raid was called, on quote, 'a complete success'. A spokesperson from Judgment says that the raids have so far proven useful, as it weakens the grip of Skill-Out throughout the city. The spokesperson also noted that crimes in the last month have dropped by five percent."_

Uiharu sighed, knowing that a few more raids needed to occur before she could return to her dorm and normal way of life. She turned the Tv off before stretching out on the couch. By this Time, Yomikawa came into the room. She looked at Uiharu, who hair had gotten longer, and notice the lack of the headband.

"So where is your headband?" she asked Uiharu. Uiharu shrugged.

"I got rid of it, it did make me look childish," said Uiharu. "And to be a bit honest, I like my hair long; I guess I had it short to make the headband fit better." Yomikawa laughed. This was the first time Uiharu talked about fashion. Usually she talked about what bothered her, Judgment, or her training with Accelerator.

"Alright. So how are you feeling, is your mind getting under control?" asked Yomikawa, wanting to make sure that after the next raid Uiharu was ok with going back to her dorm. But Uiharu just fiddled with the remote, trying to find something to watch.

"I don't know; I mean I want to say yes, but while the other personality isn't constantly fighting me, it feels like it takes over when I am stressed or angry. Like today, I wanted to beat the crap out of Accelerator, and I…" Yomikawa placed a hand on Uiharu's shoulder.

"I know, I heard about it from Accelerator while you were in the shower," She looked at Uiharu, and ruffled up her hair. "Look, he gets on everyone's nerve, and so I wouldn't be surprised if the other you lashed out to get even with him. But please, don't blame yourself for getting angry, just try and stay calm, and collect your thoughts. "

Uiharu nodded, knowing Yomikawa was one of the few people who wasn't trying to manipulate her. She smiled at Yomikawa.

"Thanks, I feel a bit better now, having someone to talk to," she noted. She glanced at Yomikawa, before asking a question she didn't want to ask but needed.

"Do you think I will become a Level Five?" Yomikawa sat back on the couch, stretching.

"Honestly, I don't know," Yomikawa replied. "I know that Yoshikawa and Accelerator doubt that with your current reality you could achieve Level Five, but I wouldn't put it past you. I think that your kind heart, while others see it as a barrier, I think could give you the strength needed to become a Level Five. But as I said, I don't know. I am just speculating."

Uiharu got up, and headed to the room. She sat down at her PDA, and decided to look up the other Level Fives, trying to see why her personality would act as a barrier. She read the psyche reports of each, as Academy City flaunted its Level Five espers. She noted that with the exception of the number six, to which there was no data on, all the Level Five had the same power hungry drive. Even her friend was a bit obsessed with becoming more powerful.

She cringed, realizing that her dark-self had a point; her selfless nature wasn't what made Level Five. She felt her dark-self sat down next to her.

"_You see what I mean now?" _her dark-self asked_. "See that your personality isn't capable of making you a Level Five. You need me to take over." _

Uiharu glared at her dark-self.

"_You are already creeping into my mind, causing me to become short tempered and unable to calm down. So why must you take over me, what is so important about me becoming a Level Five?" _

"_Why, if you are asking that question, then you must truly be naïve. All Level Fives are powerful, and thus their mere presence causes a shift of power. If you could become a Level Five, no longer would people look down on you; they would give you a wide berth, you could even take on jobs that others couldn't have due to your power." _Her dark-self smiled, but Uiharu had dealt with her for nearly a month now, and was able to outthink her at last.

"_You talk as though you would share power, but if I let you take over, then you will seize my body and force me out. Also, with my power, wouldn't more people try and gain control over me. All the Level Fives are like weapons; the railgun is able to act like artillery, Accelerator can destroy a formation with a second pause, and that is just two of the seven. So don't tell me that becoming Level Five will be the end of my problems; they would only compound them." _Her dark-self jumped up, shocked at Uiharu's retort.

"_The world has nothing for the weak though!" _she argued. _"The strong take what they want, and leave the rest to scramble to survive. Do you want to remain a nameless esper in a sea of espers, or do you want to take the mantle and become a feared and known Level Five?!" _Uiharu shook her head, defiant in her attempts to deny her dark-self an opening.

"_If that is so, then why do many powerful people contribute to their communities? Even Misaka Mikoto helps the city out, willingly to go into harm's way to help a few people. And what of Judgment? Sure, they are on my nerve, but as a whole, they do good."_

"_They do it for the recognition and mutual safety," _hissed her dark-self_. "By ensuring the city's safety, they protect themselves, and also, they get recognition for their efforts, but you, you got nothing. Not even in your time at Judgment did anyone respect you, acknowledge you existence. You were forgotten, a cog in the gears of this city." _

Uiharu felt herself mentally stumble; but she needed to gather herself. But before she could, her dark-self said something that shook Uiharu's core values.

"_If they do good, then why did the Level-Upper incident occurred?" mocked her dark-self. "Many of those espers, they did it because they were terrorized by those with power, and Judgment nor anyone else bother to step in most of the time. Notice, you only responded to cases where the subjects had been going to a school that had a good track recor. When was the last time you aided a Level zero esper that wasn't a friend?" _

Uiharu paled, realizing that despite the countless arguments she could come up with, none would be able to answer her dark-self's question. She paused, but was drawing blanks; she didn't notice that all her cases revolved around those with power, not those without. She tried to clear her head, but the epiphany that her dark-self gave her was too numbing. But her dark-self was getting tired.

"_Alright Uiharu, when you finally come to accept that your morals were on a broken foundation, come to me so I can take over. At least my foundation won't be an illusion that yours were." _Uiharu felt tears streaming her face, her hands shaking in frustration and anger.

"You bitch, why you would go so low?" she muttered under her breath, curling into a ball on the bed. "I thought I was helping people who needed help, but was I really just a pawn? Could I ever go back, knowing that was the truth?" She wept quietly, and rolled onto her side, hoping that no one would bother her as she dealt with the painful truth.

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

"Alright, remember the plan Onee-Sama," cautioned Kuroko. "You keep them from getting away by destroying their transport, while my and the rest raid the safe house."

Misaka nodded, knowing that after this raid, Uiharu would be removed from needing to be watched, as Skill-Out would've been damaged beyond the point of harassing Uiharu. She grabbed a coin and began flicking it.

"Don't worry about me Kuroko; let's just get this over with so we can hang out with Uiharu again." She began to think about what their first day with Uiharu again would be like. She was certain that Uiharu would want to hang out at the diner with everyone.

"Alright, we are about to begin our raid," noted Kuroko. Misaka chuckled, waiting near the back alley way for any escape attempts.

Kuroko teleported inside the safe house, appearing before 4 men. Before they could react, she grabbed her darts and began stapling them to the ground. She could hear the other breaking into the safehouse. The speakers on the outside were blaring, ordering the members of Skill-Out to surrender.

Kuroko was about to assit when one of the men began to laugh. She paused, turning to the man.

"What's so funny? You do realize that you are being arrested don't you?" asked Kuroko. The man kept laughing, but stopped long enough to explain.

"Do you realize where we are?" he asked. Kuroko sighed.

"Yes, we are at a safe house you guys are using. What about it?" The man glared at her.

"Do you idiots think we weren't figuring out your raids, where you were targeting? We figured it out, and we planned. Thankfully, the plan is working!"

The man began to laugh as various red lasers began to enter through the windows. Kuroko teleported to a area where the windows didn't give her position away, but before she could report, she heard a nmber of gunshots rang out. Soon, the walls were littered with gunshot holes. Kuroko could hear members of Judgment downstairs screaming in pain, and Kuroko glared at the man.

"You set us up didn't you bastard?" she demanded, shaking from the terrible realization that a lot of people downstairs were going to be in critical, some maybe even dead. But the man chuckled.

"Oh, it wasn't hard to set the trap up, but I think this should stem the flow of raids drastically," he smirked at her. "Don't worry, it's not like we are going to line the roof tops and kill members of Judgment in broad daylight. But we will fight to survive, after all the hell you espers brought on us."

Kuroko pulled her knees to her face and began to weep. She never felt so disgusted, but all of things, she was glad Uiharu wasn't in Judgment, otherwise she might've been in this raid. She then heard sirens wailing in the city, getting louder with each second. She then heard the arcing of electricity, as with a doubt, Misaka went to deal with the snipers.

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

Katsu was in the park, waiting for Takeru to show up. Katsu, to say the least, wasn't looking forward to the meeting. Last time they met, Katsu had his body beaten by Takeru's wrath. He sat down, and began to think of the state of affairs.

He had been let out of the hospital a week after getting beaten by Takeru, but Romanov, who sustained more crippling injuries, was still in physical therapy. The doctors doubted he would ever regain use of his arm, so all efforts were to ensure that he could maintain his ability to walk.

Uiharu had been training with Accelerator, according to reports to some look outs the Kiharas hired to keep an eye on Uiharu. Current reports had her at either a maxed Level Two or a low Level Three. But thankfully the training she underwent didn't cause her to lose her other personality; rather it seemed to bring it out more.

Katsu sighed, when he heard leave being walked over. He held his breath before standing up. He turned around to see Takeru just a few meters in front of him. Katsu took a breath before beginning.

"So have you got an answers to Gensei?" asked Katsu. "Are you going to agree to the terms or not." Takeru cracked his knuckles, but he nodded.

"Yes, I agree to the terms. I won't interfere with the Kihara's plans unless their plans comes to my door," he stated, obviously pissed with the agreement. "I want the X1 and the funds to begin making it by tomorrow." Katsu nodded. The X1 and funds were already gathered before the meeting.

"Very well, I will inform Gensei of your agreement," He put out his hand to shake with Takeru. Takeru shook it, only for the sake of formality. "Hopefully, the plan won't interfere with your plans." Takeru shrugged.

"I seriously doubt it, nothing in this city ever just affect those it is intended for." He left, leaving Katsu to go back to the bench. Katsu let out his breath, pleased with not getting his ass handed to him. He pulled out a cell phone.

"Command, this is Overwatch One, Takeru has agreed to the conditions," he stated plainly. He heard Gensei chuckle.

"Very good, now the plan can continue without anymore interference," he stated. Katsu massaged his arm.

"What about Aki sir? Won't she remain a problem?" He heard Gensei laugh, a cold laugh of meticulous planning and deceit.

"After tonight, she won't be concerned with us. Rather, she will be terrified of what will happen should she refuse to assit us." Katsu paused, trying to figure out what Gensei meant.

"What exactly do you have in mind sir?" he asked. Gensei avoided the question.

"It's none of your concern. You will continue to observe Uiharu starting the moment Uiharu leaves the care of Yomikawa and begins training again with Aki." Katsu then heard the line go dead. He got up, fearful of what Gensei had in store. Whatever it was, it wasn't going to be pretty for Aki.

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

Misaka had just enough time to pull some metal sheets to cover herself from the high caliber rounds that the Skill-Out snipers were using. Misaka knew she was in a bad position, but she needed to remove the sniper threat before more judgment officers got in their crosshairs.

The snipers had surrounded themselves around the safe house on the roofs, and they were packing heat. They were using VSK with 12.7mm rounds which made their shots accurate even at long range. But for the close range they were using PP-2000s, a PDW with armor piercing rounds. So even with her using metal sheets, she couldn't guarantee that they couldn't hit her.

She soon charged the sheets, and sent electricity at the first two snipers. Both men were fried, being left unconsinuses after the severe shock, but there were at least six more snipers on the rooftops. She quickly began sprinting in a zig-zag, hoping that the snipers weren't good at leading their targets. She saw one raise his rifle at her, but she ducked quickly to avoid getting hit.

The round went over her, though not by much. Misaka cursed her luck, as she never saw Skill-Out have access to military grade weapons. Who was funneling them weapons, and for what purpose? But she needed to take him out.

She got up, and using his ability to manipulate magnetic fields, propeleed herself into the air. She then took aim with a coin, and launched it to over Mach 3 at the sniper. Before the sniper could react, the coin smashed into the roof, and took him out from the fight. Misaka made sure however not to hit him directly, as she didn't want blood on her hands.

She then tallied another sniper out, and peered across the building on the other side of the safe house. She saw four of the snipers, and they lined up, and began firing her in salvos. She tried to lay prone, but the rounds were large enough to smash the low brick wall into pieces. She quickly crawled out of the way, hoping that the snipers wouldn't adjust their aim. But after a minute, they ceased to fire.

Misaka knew however if she got up, they would pick her off. She needed a plan, but she was coming up empty. Then she heard a voice in her ear.

"Misaka, are you there?" It was Kuroko, but she sounded defeated and had been crying. Misak clenched her fist, knowing why her friend was like this.

"Kuroko, I am fine, but I am pinned," began Misaka. "There are four snipers on the building with the solar panels. I can't move unless they are dealt with. I think a fifth is going to check if I am taken out." She heard Kuroko wipe her face.

"I could teleport you out of the area," Kuroko offered. Misaka shook her head.

"We can't do that, as those snipers will still be in a position to shoot the incoming Judgment officers. We have to take them out, right here and now." Kuroko sighed, obviously hating herself at the moment.

"Alright how?" asked Kuroko. Misaka smiled.

"I need you to come to me, grab me, and teleport us over the snipers. We should be able to surprise them if we are quick about it." She just finished her statement when Kuroko appeared and grabbed her arm. They then teleported above the men.

Misaka glared at them before unleashing a barrage of her coins at them. With each barrage, she pummeled the roof the snipers were on, until the roofs collapsed onto the floor. She then created a wave of electrical arcs throughout the building, making sure that now of the snipers were able to walk. Misaka began to breathe heavily, knowing there was one last sniper out there. She began to look out the window, trying to spot him. She was scanning toward the perimeter when she felt Kuroko shove her quickly when the window exploded into shards.

Misaka looked at Kuroko, sighing at her attempts to save her. She chuckled.

"Kuroko, could you please get off…" began Misaka as she felt something on her hand. She inspected her hand, only to see it red. She looked at Kuroko, who was breathing heavily and irregularly. She then got Kuroko up, and saw that Kuroko had been shot.

Misaka paled. Kuroko had taken a bullet for her. Misaka began to tremble, unable to comprehend what was happening. Everything seemed to slow down. Kuroko grabbed her friend's hand.

"Onee-sama, please-don't- leave me- alone," she pleaded, coughing on her blood. Misaka saw that the round had pierced her lung. She began to cry.

"I won't," chocked out Misaka. "I am sorry Kuroko, if I hadn't been so stupid as to stand carelessly…" Kuroko stopped her. She gripped misaka's hand more firmly.

"It's my job- to keep people, even you- safe," She coughed up more blood. "Please don't blame yourself, we were- set up. Please…" Kuroko was unable to finish her statement, as she passed out from blood loss. Misaka looked at Kuroko, and began to cry. She could hear someone running up the stairs, but she feared they were too late.

She saw several members of Judgment, including a young girl that had blonde hair in a double pigtails she recognized as Kihara Nayauta. Nayauta ran up to her, calling for a medic.

"Misaka, are you hurt?" she asked. Misaka shook her head.

"But Kuroko… she is in bad condition. Please, get her help!" begged Misaka, grabbing Nayauta by her shoulders. "She-she can't die!" Nayauta nodded, and soon she put pressure on the wound. The medics arrived and took over. But for Misaka, her world became a blur, as the events were happening to fast for her to comprehend anymore. She began to weep, praying that her friend would make it through the night.

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

**Author's Note: Evil cliffhanger! Muhahaha! Sorry for the week-long delay, I had a bit of writer's block occur, plus I have been reading a ton of other's fan ficition. So sorry for the delay.**

**Also of note, this marks the end of the 'Hidden Agenda's Arc. Now, things will be more visible, as Kihara Gensei sets up his pieces to have Uiharu fulfill his plans. However, will she remain the naïve pawn, or will she lash out? Find out in the next "Black Rose" Arc!**

**One more thing; I am going to post a question and I want your opinion on the question. Either send me a PM or leave it to be seen in the review. The question will not pertain to this story, as I have a general plan on where I want it to go. But now for the question: If you could have any esper ability, what would it be? **

**As always, review, favorite, follow, and give me suggestions!**


	17. Chapter 17: Black Rose Arc

**Black Rose Arc**

Chapter 17: New dorm, new people, new plans

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

Uiharu was unsure what to feel. Anger, sadness, remorse, regret maybe? She just wanted the day to be over, so that she could be alone. But her friends pretty much were a wreck, and had been until the doctor came out to give them the news on Kuroko's conditions.

"Kuroko is now stable, though she is tired from the surgery," began the doctor. "She will be able to take in visitors now, so if you want to see her, go ahead. That said, there has been a complication." Misaka paled at this.

"What do you mean complication?" asked Misaka. Her eyes were red from crying, and she hadn't stopped trembling. The doctor sighed.

"The bullet used wasn't of the highest velocity, and as a result tore the inside of her lungs. As a result, we took out most of shrapnel, and replaced her right lung with a mechanical lung. This will undoubtly have an effect on her ability, as well as her ability to do every day things."

Misaka looked as though she wanted to drown herself, for having Kuroko risk her own life to save her. But Uiharu placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Let's go see kuroko," muttered Uiharu. "I bet she could use the company as of now." Misaka nodded, and she followed Uiharu into the room long with Saten and Aki.

Kuroko was laying on a hospital bed, slightly inclined. Her hair wasn't in her dual pig-tails, but rather just flowing down normally. She had her right arm in a sling, and she was in a light blue hospital gown. She smiled at Misaka.

"Hi Onee-sama," she said. "Sorry for making you worry." Misaka hugged her tightly, wimpering slightly. She was begging for forgiveness, but Kuroko shook it off. "It's my job to keep people safe." Eventually Misaka sat down in the chair next to Kuroko.

"So how are you feeling?" asked Misaka. Kuroko sighed, her right hand clenching.

"It hurts like hell," noted Kuroko. "Having an iron lung sucks, it actually is quiet tiring using it. I have never felt the need to actually breathe, but now it really tiring on me." She smirked. "But other than the slight pain getting used to the iron lung, I am fine. Tired, but fine."

Misaka smiled, and then Kuroko turned to Uiharu.

"So Uiharu, how have you been?" asked Kuroko. Uiharu rubbed the back of her head, slightly wishing she wasn't noticed.

"Not too bad, all things considered. Yomikawa's cooking sucks, and two of her three charges made me want to knock their lights out. And my other personality kept driving me nuts. But overall, not bad." Kuroko laughed, but then winced at the pain.

"Damn iron lung," she muttered. "Oh well, at least you are here, does that mean you are done with being under protection?" Uiharu nodded.

"As far as I know," Uiharu said. "Yomikawa is going to take me to my dorm later today, so I can get back to school, and yeah." She trailed off, thinking about how far she is going to be at her school. Kuroko shrugged.

"That's good to hear. I though will be in physical therapy for a few weeks, which will suck." Kuroko readjusted a pillow. She was about to say something when a doctor came in.

"Hello," he said. "I need you guys to leave. Kuroko will need to have her iron-lung recalibrated; the performance of the machine is interfering more than it should. Also, she will need to get some rest." They nodded, and bid Kuroko good bye. In the lobby, Misaka seemed a more cheerful.

"At least she isn't in too much pain," began Misaka. Uiharu was about to say something when Aki spoke up. She looked sick.

"Guys, a moment?" she said, pointing to an empty hallway. They followed Aki, curious as to why she wanted privacy. She turned to them, with a look of utter regret.

"My great-grandfather contacted me after I saw the raid on the news," she said. Misaka's fist tightened, and Uiharu felt her skin burning slightly.

"He said that the ambush was to get me in line," she said. "If I continue to interfere with their plans, they would conintually hurt you guys until I submit." Saten and Misaka blanched at this.

"What?! What are you talking about?!" demanded Saten. "Why would your grandfather have any reason to hurt Kuroko?!" Aki sat down, hurt that the whole thing was her fault. She sighed, looking at Uiharu.

"My great-grandfather didn't come out and say it like that, but I know him; he was trying to get me to step out of the way, for me to play my little part," She bowed her head. "I can't explain why he what he wants, as that could mean interfering with the plan. But please, don't try and go after him; he will only cause you guys more harm." She had a stream of tears roll down her face.

Misaka knelt down to Aki. She looked at Aki, lifting her chin to see into her eyes.

"Is your great-grandfather that evil?" she asked, and when Aki nodded, she sighed. "Alright then, let's not do anything to hasty. But if he is doing something evil, we must do something to stop him." Aki shook her head.

"He would kill, or experiment, on those who interfere with his plan. He has no remorse, he sees people as lab rats; something to test on. So please, just stay out of his way!" Uiharu could see that Aki and Misaka were about to fight, and began to walk away.

She couldn't stand her friends' reaction to the situation. Here they were, Kuroko in a bed, and her friends were about to fight over what needed to be done. She sighed, and headed down. She got into the elevator, and saw a man with a crutch, wearing a pair of glasses and having a mustache that covered his upper lip and curled at the end.

"Hello, you going down?" he asked in a thick accent. She nodded, and got in. She thought he was weird, but not in a bad way. She looked at him. She saw that one of his arms was limp, and that one of his legs was in a bind.

"So what is your name?" Uiharu asked. The man smiled, though it wasn't a warm smile, but rather a mischievous one.

"My name is Alexzander Romanov, no relation to the royal dynasty mind you," he replied. "so were you seeing a friend?" She nodded.

"She was shot last night," Uiharu said. "And now I am leaving to avoid the shit storm that is about to occur to my friends as they fight over some new information." She sighed, feeling her dark-self wanting to pop in. The man looked at her.

"That must suck," he noted. "But oh well. What is your name?" Uiharu smiled.

"My name is Uiharu Kazari, Level 2, maybe 3 esper." Romanov chuckled.

"An esper eh?" he asked. "What kind of training do you go by?" Uiharu shrugged.

"I get tutoring from Kihara Aki, though I just know her as Aki, she doesn't know I know of her family connection. I go to a school, but if I get any more power, I probably will get transferred. For a little while I was trained by a rude ass Albino." Romanov laughed.

"Well, Accelerator has always been a pain in the ass," he said. Before Uiharu could question how he knew who she was referring to, he looked at her. "If you need a new training program, I work at a lab specializing in esper development, it wouldn't be too far I hope, and the lab would probably pay for most of the cost if you have promise."

Uiharu blushed, wondering if Romanov was telling the truth. But she decided on a course of discretion.

"Alright, I will keep it in mind," she said. "But unless my friends do something stupid, I probably won't be taking you on your offer any time soon." The elevator stopped, and she got out. "It was nice meeting you Romanov," she said, before going to Yomikawa. Romanov smiled again, and the elevator door closed behind her.

She walked up to Yomikawa. Yomikawa looked at her with a puzzled look.

"Something happened?" she asked. Uiharu sighed and looked towards the elevator.

"My friends were about to get into a fight, apparently they are high-strung," she noted. "I didn't want to snap again, so I came down. I talked to an interesting man. He offered to train me at a lab in the city. I refused, but if my friends keep at each other throats, I might have to take him up on his offer."

Yomikawa smiled, but inside she was cringing. Uiharu had been very blunt, and was emotionally distancing herself from others. Also, her voice was very cold and almost arrogant. She knew something changed, but had her other personality taken over, or was it something else. But she stopped thinking, remembering she had to take Uiharu to her new dorm.

Yomikawa lead Uiharu to her car, and drove Uiharu to her new dorm. The car ride was uneventful, and Uiharu mostly slept. But soon, they arrived at the dorm complex. Yomikawa got out of the car and lead Uiharu to the dorm.

It was on the second floor, last door to the right, Uiharu noted. She entered the dorm, noting the steel door that seemed to have a new locking system. But she turned to the rest of the dorm. She could see a living area in front of her at the end of the hallway. To the left was her bedroom, which had a bed, a desk, and a new computer. Inside the room was a private bathroom. To her right was the kitchen.

Uiharu noted that the dorm was very basic, but she didn't mind. At least they didn't make it for a girl-girl. She turned to Yomikawa.

"Thank your Yomikawa, for everything," she said. Yomikawa smiled.

"No problem. Hey, if you have any issues, call me," she stated. "I can help with most things. Oh, by the way, when you lock your door, I doubt anyone will be able to break it. Beside the steel frame, the door has a new locking system which prevents the deadbolt from snapping under too much pressure."

Yomikawa then left, leaving Uiharu alone in the dorm. She headed to the living area, and noted the couch and television. She turned it on to the news, where it was still talking about the raid. She sighed, having heard enough in the last few hours about it.

She sighed, and saw it was nearly five in the afternoon. She sighed, and went to the kitchen to make something. She was about to reach for a package of noodles when she heard a knock at the door. She went to see who it was. She peered through the eye hole, seeing it was Kihara Nayauta. She sighed and opened the door.

"Hello Nayauta, how can I help you?" asked Uiharu, feeling tired. Nayauta came in and walked to the living area. She sat down before motioning Uiharu to do the same. Uiharu sat down, waiting for Nayauta to begin.

"So Uiharu, it has been about a month," started Nayauta. "Since you were put on medical leave. The higher ups read Yomikawa's assessment of your state of mind, and they are willingly to put you back on the force, again with the 177th district branch. So you still want to come back?"

Uiharu paused, thinking to herself about the one argument she had with her dark-self. While she wanted to say yes, so she could help people again, she couldn't bring herself to say it. She kept thinking that she was just a pawn, as rarely did Judgment ever help those that didn't have the potential to becoming a high level esper. She sighed, coming to her answer.

"Sorry Nayauta, but I am going to refuse the offer," she said quietly. "I just, I don't know, feel like Judgment is up to the task anymore. There have been several incidents where Judgment has failed to do anything, like with the Level-Upper incident, or the intruder incident. I remember being knocked out for no reason then, so what good does Judgment do anymore. So I am going to refuse."

Nayauta looked at Uiharu, saddened by her response.

"Are you sure?" she asked, and when Uiharu nodded, she sighed. "Alright, I will file the proper paperwork then. Well, see you later I guess." Nayauta then left her dorm, leaving Uiharu to go back to fixing dinner.

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

Katsu was in the hospital, talking with Romanov. Both men were tired, but Romanov had to grow used to the inability to use his arm. He struggled to use the stair climber.

"Damn machine, if only I could hold onto the handles," Romanov muttered. Katsu chuckled.

"Well, at least you still have use of both legs," Katsu countered. Romanov looked annoyed.

"Really now, I have to use either pain medication or a crutch to move around efficiently," Romanov said. "Otherwise, I might be put back into a wheelchair. But that said, I did have a chat with Uiharu." Katsu looked up.

"Really, how did that go down?" asked Katsu. Romanov shrugged.

"Not too bad actually. She appears to have integrated a bit of her other personality from what I gathered. She still is nice, but it has been hardened and she is becoming emotionally distant, even to her friends." Katsu smiled.

"Good, hopefully she will be willingly to work directly with us." But Romanov shook his head.

"Not yet. I offered to train her at the lab, but she turned the offer down. She still is attached to her friends, but she did mention that if the rift between her friends continue, she would be willingly to accept the offer." Katsu smirked at that.

"So how do you want to play this?" he asked. Romanov shrugged. He appeared to be in thought.

"Not sure. We could have her friends keep at each other throats, and force her towards us. Or we can give her a reason to hate them. But either option isn't guaranteed to work. So let's keep to the original plan, at least for now. Aki will keep training her, against Aki's will of course. Keep an eye on the prize Katsu. Now, if you could please leave me be, I have to finish my half hour on this blasted machine."

Katsu turned to leave, eyeing the judgment officer Kuroko. She was using the treadmill, trying to get used to the new iron lung in her body. He smirked, doubting she would be relevant to the plan anymore. He left, not knowing she had been eavesdropping on him.

Kuroko pulled her phone out, which she got back from the doctors. She called Aki, despite not liking her that much. She heard the phone dial before Aki picked up.

"Hello Kuroko, aren't you supposed to be in physical therapy now?" asked Aki.

"That isn't the concern at the moment Aki," said a slightly irritated Kuroko. The Iron lung was really a pain to use. "Aki, I overheard two men talking about you and Uiharu. Do you have any idea what they are getting on about?" She heard Aki sigh on the line.

"Damn it. As far as I know, my family wants me to keep training Uiharu, and to deter me from interfering from their plans. What their plans are, I don't have a damn clue." Kuroko paused, noting that from the anger in Aki's voice that she was telling the truth.

"Alright then, what about the men? One was named Katsu, and I know the other because he is in physical therapy, he goes by Romanov." She heard Aki pacing.

"I know Katsu, he works under my family as whatever the family needs him to be. He has a degree in toxicology and pharmaceutical drugs. But Romaonv, I never knew of a Romanov in the family when I was still a part of the family. But I know a Romanov that was an esper developer in Moscow. If you get me a picture of him and I come tomorrow, I could confirm if they are one and the same." Kuroko nodded.

"Ok, I will get a picture of him. But please, we need to figure out what their plan is," noted Kuroko. She heard Aki stop pacing.

"Look, I have to keep training Uiharu, but I know Saten and Misaka are thinking along the same lines as you. I can't do much, as I am being observed, but if you guys can figure out what they want out of Uiharu, then maybe we can act to stop them."

"Alright then, I will meet with you soon," said Kuroko before hanging up. She sighed, wondering what Uiharu had gotten herself into.

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

**Author's Note: Alright, this marks the end of the first chapter of the Black Rose Arc. I know, it wasn't as big as the other chapters as of late, but I felt this was a good place to stop. I want to set it up to where I can get Uiharu to be a definite Level 3 very soon. That said, to the reviews!**

**I remember asking for your opinions on most powerful esper ability, and some of you responded. physics roxx said that my mention of 'wavelength modification' sounded really powerful, and in concept it is. I agree, someone using it could stay toe to toe with Misaka mikoto, though it using wavelengths might make it not so useful against Accelerator.**

**A guest mentioned Dark Mater, the ability the number two can use, but I am not familiar with how it works. If anyone can clarify what it does, that would be great.**

**Now, for the next question; if you could have any esper ability, what would it be and why?**

**Finally, I am taking a short break from the story, I will get back to it after the New Year, but I want to get started on another story. If you want to read it, just click on my name, go to my stories, and read it. I don't know when I will post it, but I think before the New Year is a fair estimate. I will keep working on this story though, I just won't publish it until after the New Year.**

**Also, I was curious, and it turns out this story is nearly 5/8 of the length of the first Harry Potter novel, so yeah, that caught me by surprise.**

**But anyway, please favorite, follow, review, and read the story, and have a happy holidays!**


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18: A Chance Meeting

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\/\/\/

Uiharu rolled off her bed after her afternoon nap, seeing it was now 5 in the evening. She sighed, as her new life in her new dorm after the raid had changed quite a bit. She didn't hang out with her friends as much, and while she and Aki were still training, she felt as though Aki was holding out on her. It had been this way for two weeks, and she was fed up with it.

She got off the bed and looked in the mirror. She was wearing her school issue uniform, but she wanted to go out, but not in this. She grabbed a white shirt with a black line going from her right shoulder to her waist, and a black pair of pants. She noted her longer hair, which began to grow longer in the back, but she felt something was off.

Unsatisfied with her look but wanting to get out before it got any later, she walked out with her purse and locked her dorm before continuing onwards. She began walking to the underground mall when her dark-self decided to drop in. By this time, Uiharu grew used to her presence, and began to consider her a bit useful, but still a threat.

_"So why exactly are you heading out?" _her dark-self asked. Uiharu shrugged_._

_ "No particular reason just bored of being locked up in that dorm. I swear, someone is watching me," reasoned Uiharu. "Thus, my getting out is a bit relaxing. Anyway, I don't think I could take having to listen to Saten or Misaka talk about Kuroko again. I know she is hurting, but you don't have to call every other hour with an update." _Her dark-self chuckled.

_ "Are you sure we aren't the one and the same?" _she asked. Uiharu mentally flipped her off_._

_ "No, I am certain we aren't the same, I don't have the compulsion to attack everyone just to test myself like you do. Also, don't take this talking as me accepting you, it's just I rather talk to you than be bored." _Her dark-self sighed at the remark_._

_ "Fine, be that way. But still, don't you wish there was a time you could go all out, and push yourself to your limits?" _Her dark-self then pointed down towards a back alley_. "There is bound to be some Skill-Out punks, wouldn't it be nice to put them in their place?"_

Uiharu paused, glancing down the alley. Sure, there would be Skill-Out, but was it worth the trouble? She considered, and then remembered how Skill-Out put her and now Kuroko into the hospital. She groaned in annoyance.

_ "No, let's not bother. It probably just bite us in the ass anyway," _she muttered_. "I don't need to give Skill-Out a new reason to come after me, now do I?" _Her dark-self nodded reluctantly

_ "Very well. So what are you going to do?" _Uiharu kept walking to the mall.

_ "Everything feels… off. I can't stand the clothes I wear, and my friends are either bugging the living shit out of me or their aren't telling me everything." _Uiharu then mentally face-palmed, realizing she opened herself to another 'told you so' by her dark-self.

_ "Really, so your friends are setting you up are they?" _her dark-self said in an overly sweet voice. Uiharu shook her head.

_ "No, rather Aki isn't really training me, it's like she is hesitating these last couple of weeks. I have begun to feel myself growing more and more restless, wanting to level up, but I haven't grown since the raid that put Kuroko in the hospital." _Her dark-self nodded slowly. Uiharu was wondering what she was thinking, she figured it might be a paranoid version of the events. But then her dark-self responded.

_ "Well, what if Aki is afraid of you getting more powerful?" _Uiharu laughed at her_._

_ "How do you figure? Why else would she be training me, if she didn't want me to be more powerful?" _Her dark-self smirked, which annoyed Uiharu.

_ "She is a Kihara right?" _Uiharu nodded, remembering Accelerator's rage at the mention of Aki_. "Well, the Kiharas have done some fucked up experiments. But if we take the Level-upper incident, it was only really Misaka and Kuroko who interfered with the plans." _Uiharu nodded, she remembered just tagging along, acting as a warm body.

_ "Well, since the raid, Kuroko has ended up in the hospital and Aki isn't really training you. So what if Aki is helping her family now?" _Uiharu stopped, and glared at her dark-self.

_ "Why the hell would Aki help the Kiharas, she doesn't even like talking about them, and she was explaining that her grandfather organized the ambush before I walked off. Also, how would my Leveling up interfere with the Kiharas?" _her dark-self spun in place, and sat on the bench.

_ "Because," she began. "If you leveled up, you would be another esper that could interfere with the Kiharas if you sided against them. Before you weren't anything, but now…" _Uiharu was fuming, because while her dark-self brought up a valid argument, the argument lacked any reason as to why Aki would be back-stabbing her. She began to walk off.

_ "Come back when you have a reason that Aki would want to help the Kiharas and hinder my training," _she muttered, cursing her dark-self_. "I have some shopping to do." _

She got to the mouth of the mall and headed down, walking into a clothing store. She began to look at several shirts, getting annoyed at the fact that most of the shirts for girls her age were either skimpy or childish. She sighed, nothing seemed to fit with her changing personality, it was as if her personality was clashing with her image.

She sighed, leaving the store annoyed. She was about to go to a different store when she heard some students that attended her class talking about her. She felt his face redden, and she decided to eavesdrop on their conversation.

"So have you seen Uiharu lately?" said a young blonde. A brunette shook her head.

"Not really. I have been avoiding her, she isn't her normal self. She actually is kind of scary now."

"I agree," said a girl with black hair. "She been in a load of trouble lately. Skill-Out been after her you know, and also her friend that is in Judgment got shot."

"Really, you mean the pink hair girl?"

"The one and the same. I heard that the raid was done to eliminate Skill-Out's interest in Uiharu. So it wouldn't be hard to say that it was Uiharu's fault for getting her friend into the hospital."

Uiharu felt a tear roll down her cheek; she didn't mean for her friend to end up in the hospital, she didn't mean for many Judgment officers to die, it wasn't her fault! She was about to leave when she heard something.

"You know how she has been getting trained by that Aki girl?" said the blone. The others nodded. "Well, I heard that she hasn't been training Uiharu, I overheard her talking with the Railgun, about how she is trying to keep Uiharu out of the public's eyes."

"Really?" asked the brunette. "Makes sense, wouldn't want Uiharu getting more powerful, lest she makes herself and her friends a target." This was the final straw for Uiharu. She began to storm out of the mall, trying to refrain from opening up with her power on the girls.

Aki couldn't really be keeping her weak, could she? And Misaka, wouldn't she be proud to have her former Level One friend become more powerful? But why did those girls sound so serious, why did they seem so sure of their thoughts? Uiharu ran back to the alley where her dark-self tried to get her to go down.

She paused, hearing a commotion. She wanted to stop, but she was too hurt to care anymore. She headed towards the commotion, to see a spiky black hair kid running towards her.

"Such misfourtnae!" the spiky hair kid said, looking back. Before Uiharu could step aside, he collided into her. He looked down at Uiharu.

"S-Sory," the boy said. But before she could respond, Uiharu heard the people that was chasing the boy from behind.

"Oh, this idiot brought us to an enemy of Skill-Out!" said a tall man wearing a hoodie. "How about we rob the boy of the money while we take the girl for a meeting? A meeting with the devil!" The other three men laughed.

To Uiharu's amazement, the boy got up quickly.

"What the hell do you want with this girl?" the boy stated. The tall man, without a doubt being a member of Skill-Out, smirked.

"She burnt down a lab with some of our men in it, attacked three of our buddies, got Judgment to crack down on us, and ever since then, she has been wanted dead!" The Boy braced him self.

"I don't give a damn about your petty ideals for revenge! Now leave her alone or I will break those illusions of yours!" Uiharu looked at the boy as those he signed his own death sentence. So did the man.

"if that is how you want to do this," the man said, pulling out a pistol. "So be it." He pulled the trigger, but before the boy could doge, Uiharu reacted. She threw the oy to the ground, and generated a field of heat around her. Soon, the bullet hit the heat wave, and turned to ash. Uiharu, taken aback by this, kept herself over the boy. But the men began to panic, all pulling out their guns.

"What the hell?!" yelled the leader. "That should've killed you!" Uiharu paused, realizing that she could attack them without fear. She felt her dark-self nod in her head. _Take them out, _reasoned the other personality. Uiharu smiled, her teeth visable, and her eyes narrowing.

"What do you think you can do?!" Uiharu mocked. "I can simply burn those bullets of yours without having to worry!" The men began to fire on her, their bullets flying to her. But Uiharu kept her heat wave towards the bullets, and soon they began to turn to ash, long before they reached her. The men soon ran out of ammo in the guns, and they began to sweat bullets.

"So what shall I do with you?" said Uiharu, combing her hair with her hand. "I could burn your skin, or I can freeze your blood. Maybe I could have you burn in a pit of lava, that be interesting and self-cleaning." Uiharu felt her wrath coming out. Her friend suffered for her, at the hands of Skill-Out. She would ensure it ended, right here, right now.

That was until the spiky hair 'idiot' grabbed her hand before she could react. She tried to burn the ground, but nothing happen. She froze, realizing her power wasn't obeying her. _What the hell was happening? My power, where is it?! _The men saw this and took off, running deeper into the city. Uiharu glared at the boy.

"Why the hell did you stop me?!" demanded Uiharu. "I could have made them fear me, to have them leave my friends alone, to not attack people.." The boy stood up, and looked at her.

"You shouldn't use fear and intimidation to get what you want," the boy state quietly. "I have seen too many terrible things done for similar reason to let you kill those men." Uiharu redden in the face, annoyed with him.

"But they sent my friend to the hospital, they killed officers of Judgment, they deserve nothing more than what they have sowed!" she yelled. She felt her anger growing, but the boy kept ahold of her with his right hand. She was annoyed that with all her training, her ability wasn't doing anything in this boy's presence.

"I stopped those bullets from killing you, I could easily have beaten them, there was no reason for you to interfere, and how the hell are you stopping me from using my powers?!" The boy smiled.

"You don't need to dive into hell," he said. "I have seen those that have killed, tried to kill, and I believe in redemption. People can change, so long as they have their illusions broken." Uiharu stopped struggling, knowing that for whatever reason he was telling the truth. She took a step back.

"Fine," she muttered. "I won't go after them today. But if they make a move on my friends or me again, I won't pause." She glared at the boy. She didn't want to be friends with him, in reality she wanted to beat him for denying her a chance to avenge her friends. But for some reason, she believed that any attacks she could do to him would fail. She sighed.

"I am going to leave, idiot," said Uiharu as she turned around to leave. It began to rain, and she then felt sick; how could she have actually wanted to kill. She peered into her head, knowing that somewhere, her dark-self was smiling, pleased at the descent of Uiharu's morals. The boy chuckled.

"You remind me of biri-biri," he said. Uiharu looked back, glad that the rain was there to mask her tears. "She always calls me an idiot. Wish she would stop trying to fight me though."

"Who are you talking about?" asked Uiharu. The boy smiled.

"You probably know her name; it's Misaka Mikoto." Uiharu's eyes widened in shock. Did Misaka really know this guy, and if so, did she send him to stop her, or was this a chance encounter? She turned around, leaving before the boy could say anything else. She headed back to her dorm, tears rolling down her face as she fought with her actions and thoughts. _It's over, isn't? _

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

Misaka, Saten, and Aki were walking to Uiharu's dorm. Aki told the others that ever since Uiharu came back; she was more aggressive, more on edge, so Aki wasn't willingly to let Uiharu go pushing herself.

"I know I told you this Misaka," said Aki quietly. "But I have been holding back on Uiharu's training. I don't want to train her if she is going to turn out like my friend did." Misaka nodded, knowing how cruel Accelerator, Aki's old friend and the number one, had become. He killed over ten thousands of her 'sisters', and while he may have changed, it still didn't come close to atoning for his sins.

"I know, but if Uiharu learns about this from anyone else, she could see it as you betraying her," noted Misaka. "She wanted to Level up well before you two met. I understand your fear, but I don't want to lose her as a friend." Saten nodded along with Aki.

"Right, so lets tell her our concerns and make amends," said Saten. "I don't know why you guys are so solemn, this is Uiharu we are talking about, she has been there with us for so much." While Aki and Misaka nodded, in their hearts, they were a bit less optimistic about Uiharu's reaction.

They arrived at her dorm, and Saten knocked on the door.

"Uiharu, its Saten, Misaka, and Aki. Can we come in?" asked Saten. There was silence before they heard footsteps pporach the door and the deadbolt slid, and before them was Uiharu. But it wasn't the Uiharu who was cheerful and smiling that Misaka and Saten hanged out with.

Uiharu looked as though she just got back, as her clothes were wet from the rain. Her eyes were red from crying, and her skin had paled considerably. She was tired from the looks of it.

"Hello Saten, Misaka, Aki," said Uiharu lethargically. "What brings you guys over today?" Aki and Misaka began to breathe a bit faster, but Saten didn't seem to notice the stress in the air.

"Not much, we haven't hung out lately, and while Kuroko is still in physical therapy, I thought we could hang out," Saten came into Uiharu's dorm, and noticed that it was uncluttered and depersonaified. "What happened to your stuff, why isn't your dorm decorated to your taste?"

Uiharu shrugged, heading to the kitchen. Misaka and Aki saw the room, and they shared the same thought; Uiharu had changed. However, to what degree?

"My old stuff was ruined, and anyway, I think it my taste were a bit childish," stated Uiharu as she filled a glass with water. Saten shot her a look.

"C'mon, don't be like Kuroko," Saten said. "You need to lighten the mood in here, it's like I entered a padded cell of something." Misaka and Aki headed to the couch. Uiharu sat in her computer chair, turning to look at Misaka and Aki. Saten stood behind Misaka and Aki, leaning on the couch.

"Uiharu," Aki began. "I think we need to talk." Uiharu tilted her head a bit. But she remained silent, so Aki continued.

"I have been concerned that something been off. It's like you aren't the same person I met. Uiharu, why do you want to Level up?" Uiharu's eyes narrowed.

"The reason hasn't changed; to become powerful enough to help my friends out," she coldly said. Even Saten felt her hair stand on end from Uiharu's statement.

"Uiharu, the reason may not have change, but what about the motivations?" challenged Aki. "Are you doing it out of a sense of justice, out of friendship, or is it something more selfish?" Uiharu glared at Aki.

"Something more selfish, where do you get to come off with that?" Uiharu hissed out in anger. "When do Kiharas act out of niceness? They act out of a selfish stance of getting something for their efforts. So tell me, why did you train me?"

Aki felt a knife cut into her heart; it was just like when she was training with Accelerator. She felt her ribs beginning tighten up, the memories of her and Accelerator's fight coming back, along with the pain.

"Better yet," continued Uiharu. "Why have you suddenly slowed the training to a halt? Are you feeling guilty over something?" Misaka intervened at this point.

"Uiharu, we're your friends, so why are you driving a wedge between us?" Misaka asked, a tear rolling down her cheek. Uiharu lowered her head into her hands, elbows on her knees.

"Friends?" sneered Uiharu. "I doubt that, we haven't really been friends, not in the sense we help each other out in hard times. I suffered along your hardships, becoming a victim more cases than not, and yet what happens the other way around? Nothing. I have never been your equal, and thus you never had a reason to call me a 'friend'." Uiharu sat up straight.

"But I could understand, why should a Level Five be friends with a level one? Why take her seriously? I could at least accept it if Aki was still training me, if we just hung out from time to time. But no, not after what happened today. Not after I heard you to talking about stopping my training, not after your 'friend' stopped me from taking out some members of Skill-Out, and not after I realized I was just a pawn."

Misaka paled at those words. Uiharu was openly ripping apart their friendship, over some conversations she overheard and what Misaka interpreted as her fears and anger. She balled her fist in frustration.

"Uiharu, you have been my friend, ever since we first met," Misaka said, remembering how she got pissed at Kuroko with her attempts to use their meeting to do unspeakable things with her. "I never thought myself as better than you, I saw you as a friend. And what friend are you talking about?" She saw Uiharu stand up, her eyes piercing hers.

"Why, the boy with spiky black hair," explained Uiharu. "For some reasons, when he held me, my powers wouldn't work, and thus I couldn't avenge those that died trying to rid the city of Skill-Out." Finally, Saten spoke up.

"Uiharu," Saten said, trembling. "Would you really be able to 'avenge' those, would you really have killed those men?" Misaka and Aki tried to stop Saten, but Uiharu beat them to the punch.

"Why not? They killed several Judgment officers, and while I am not with Judgment anymore, the suffering those bastards forces unto me hasn't even left my mind. So I suppose yes, I could've." Saten fell to the ground, tears streaming from her face.

"But Uiharu, you are innocent. I know you, you couldn't bring yourself to hurt them, and it's not like you," Saten pleaded. "So please Uiharu, stop this nonsense!" Uiharu glared at her, her face red with anger.

"What nonsense?!" she yelled. "I have been drugged, tortured, hunted down, and put into protective custody with two unstable people, and been dealing with this infuriating other self. She wanted me to be this greedy self-centered bitch!" She paused. "I tried, really hard to ignore her, to push her out. But after a while, it just makes more and more sense. Everyone in this city strives for more power; my work at Judgment was to preserve those going after power, not the citizens of this city. Everything, from the programs, schools, and bonuses, rewards the strong and ignores the weak."

Uiharu smiled a cold calculating smile, one that Aki and Misaka had seen once before. She tilted her head, looking at Misaka, Aki, and Saten.

"The epiphany I got was this; the strong thrive, so might as well become as powerful as possible. After all that has happened, I decided to give in to the other personality," Uiharu turned to look out a window that overlooked a good portion of the city. "I can now pursue after power, to become a Level Five, to become so powerful that all would have to respect me."

Misaka stopped crying, and silently stood up. She looked at Uiharu, feeling numb, disgusted by Uiharu's new personality.

"Uiharu, if you don't stop this, I will become your worst nightmare," threatened Misaka. "I will not let you step over people, to harm those that get in your way. You remind me of Therestina, of all people." Uiharu snarled at Misaka, raising her fist at Misaka.

"How dare you compare me to her! I am nothing like her, I don't use children to fulfill my ends, and I will become more powerful than anyone else. Don't you dare get in my way, Misaka." Uiharu stared back at Misaka, while Aki and Saten began to walk out of Uiharu's dorm. Misaka though glared at her.

"Uiharu, we were friends," she said. "But _you _became selfish, and hurt us all. I will leave, but if you dare try anything with us again, I will not stop to pause, I will stop you." Uiharu stepped back.

In her mind, somewhere in the dark void, a beacon of light cried out. _Don't! She is our friend, stop this madness! _But Uiharu laughed, a cold chilling laugh that reminded Misaka of the laugh that Accelerator did after killing one of her sisters by crushing her under a container.

"Fine then Misaka," Uiharu said. "You may leave, but when I become a Level Five, I do look forward to our fight." Misaka, without saying anymore, left her dorm. Uiharu sat down in her chair, and pulled out a piece of paper that she had kept in her desk. She smiled and reached for a phone.

"Hello," Uiharu began. "Is Mr. Romanov available, I would like to speak to him." Uiharu smiled one last time, forming a plan, once she became a Level Five.

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

**Author's Note: Well, it's coming to a head. Uiharu's path has been forged, her 'friends' are no more, and now she is going to become a student of Romanov. But is there hope for Uiharu to come back to the light?**

**I would like to thank one of the people that reviewed the last chapter for pointing out my mistake (I accidently posted chapter three again instead of chapter 17, noobish mistake.), and I have since rectified the problem.**

**Now, no one I noted answered my last question, so let's go to a new one; what is your favorite pairing in the Toaru Majutsu No Index? Reply in the review or send me a private message, I am interested in hearing your opinions.**

**Also, remember how I said I was going to wait for the new year to post this chapter? Well screw that, I had a good idea, and I am running with it. Here you go, a chapter earlier than what I said it would be!**

**As always, please follow, favorite, and review.**


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19: The Fruits of our Labor

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

Misaka, Aki, and Saten where in Kuroko's hospital room. She had been transferred from the ER to a room meant for those in Physical Therapy. It was just a day after the disastrous event at Uiharu's dorm.

"I then left," finished Misaka. "The last I saw was Uiharu going to her desk to grab the phone." Misaka laid her head on Kuroko's bed. She sighed heavily. Kuroko felt numb. The one person she reliably called a friend was now gone.

"So that's that?" asked Kuroko, choking back the urge to cry. "She really did give in to the other personality?" After a moment of silence, Aki nodded.

"Yes," answered Aki. "I fear the Uiharu we knew and care for is truly gone." The four girls sat in silence, the thought of Uiharu truly being gone was difficult to swallow. Saten excused herself, but the others could see the tears rolling down her face before she left. Kuroko turned to Aki.

"Isn't there anything we can do?" pleaded Kuroko, a tear rolling down her pale face. "Maybe she is still in there…"

"Don't you get it?" Aki yelled, snapping at Kuroko. "She is gone! The Uiharu you knew, the kind, forgiving, naïve Uiharu, she is gone! Now she has been made into a power hungry, cold-hearted being. The best we can hope for is for her to get bored, or to find something to take her mind off leveling up, because she is never coming back!" Aki was bent forward, fist balled up, shaking in anger.

"Because I got cold feet, she interpreted that as me holding back on her, which meant in her mind betrayal. Doesn't help that she overheard incomplete conversations from people who didn't know any better, nor that the Kiharas got involved." Aki was about to move when Misaka stopped her.

"Aki, listen. Just because Uiharu is the way she is now, doesn't mean that she can't change," reasoned Misaka. But Aki scoffed at this.

"Haven't you seen Accelerator, did he seem to care that much for those he fought against, or for those around him?" Misaka shook her head. "Thought so. SPS isn't reversible, as far as I know. So to suggest she will change is a joke."

Misaka sighed, and walked over to the window when she saw Uiharu. She was about to speak up until she saw a tall man approaching her. They appeared to be talking, but what about? Misaka motioned Aki over, and when Aki saw the man, she began to grit her teeth.

"Damn it, that is Romanov," muttered Aki. "I bet he is going to take Uiharu to a lab made to Level espers up." Misaka looked over at her.

"Should we interfere?" she asked. "If they can't train her, then they can't control her.." Aki shook her head.

"And have my family come after you guys? Not on my conscious, and besides, Uiharu will just see it as us interfering with her plans. For now, we will have to let go." Aki turned around and sat back down. But Misaka couldn't help but watch Uiharu as she entered a van with Romanov. She wondered where she was going.

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

Uiharu sighed quietly. She had been with Romanov for nearly an hour, and they had yet to discuss her training. But as she was about to get up and leave, Romanov smirked.

"We are here," he stated, getting out the van. Uiharu followed suite, and saw that he was referring to a school. Uiharu recognized the school as she had to walk past it to get to the underground mall. She however frowned.

"I thought you were going to train me at a lab," stated Uiharu as she followed Romanov into the school. He chuckled lightly.

"The lab is technically the training facility at the school," he said. "Besides, the keep your training hidden from the prowling eyes, this school was ideal. It is going to start up in the spring, which is less than 2 months away. In the meantime, you will be given special access to do training in the meantime."

Uiharu nodded, and as soon she went down a hallway with a series of windows in the interior, she saw the training facility. It reminded her of a fighting pit, or what she imagined one to look like. The walls were tall; there was two entrances at the floor level, and a stand for observers. She combed her hand through her hair.

"I suppose that there is a fighting pit?" she said. Romanov nodded.

"It can be. Usually though it is used to push espers to their limits, or to run systems scans. But esper training isn't just about exploiting your ability; it is also about making sure you mind can handle the calculations." Uiharu glared at Romanov.

"I can turn the ground you stand upon into lava, I can freeze water, and I can create pseudo-weather systems by making two miniature air masses. So I think I can handle my calculations." Romanov smacked the back of her head.

"Idiot!" he barked at her. "You can do those things by visualizing your ability, that isn't calculations, that is making your personal reality real, not harnessing your ability." His eyes shined in anger before continuing down the hall.

"All abilities are governed by laws, and by understanding these laws, you can become a Level Five, that is if you can get your conception of your ability out of your head!"

Uiharu rubbed the back of her head, annoyed that she didn't create a heated air mass that would've burnt the shit out of Romanov's one good hand. But she knew that it was just one way to instill discipline, which she had to admit she lacked.

"Very well," said Uiharu. "I assume that the 'classes' here will be sufficient for my ability?" Romanov nodded.

"Yes, your course work will enable you a better understanding of your ability," he paused. "Oh, during the week, you will be staying at a dorm at the school. One the weekends, you will be allowed to return to the dorm that you have." Uiharu as puzzled; why would she be forced to have two dorms?

"And why might I ask?" she said. Romanov stopped, before a room, which Uiharu guessed would be her dorm.

"Simple, school policy and to minimize your contact with the outside world. But it would be odd if you disappeared, plus you have Judgment and Anti-Skill watching for you, so it makes sense if you were at your dorm off campus on the weekend, as that be when they check up on you, if they do."

Uiharu smiled. Deceit, an often underrated value, was something Uiharu began to enjoy. It allows her to form her plans, to have her power and independence. But for now, it is time to follow the line.

"Fair enough," Uiharu replied. "Is my room a single or double?" Uiharu wished she didn't have a roommate, but from Romanov's look, she would.

"Double, though your roommate has yet to arrive for registration. She should be in by the end of the month, so there is that. But for now, get adjusted to your room." Romanov then left Uiharu, walking off down another hallway. Uiharu opened the door and walked into her dorm.

The dorm was similar to the one she was currently living in, with a few differences. First, it was larger, with room for two twin size bed. Second, the kitchen had an island for preparing and eating meals. Third, there was a dedicated study area, with two shelves and two desks with state of the art computers.

Uiharu wondered who her roommate will be, someone she didn't know for sure. She looked at the computer, and decided to turn it on. Sadly, it wasn't hooked to the internet, and since the school was yet to start, she couldn't simply input the internet access code. Cursing herself, Uiharu then turns her attention to a few boxes, opening them to find nothing relevant. Growing frustrated with getting nowhere, she decides that in the end, she is going to sleep. Maybe tomorrow will bring new light to her situation.

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

Accelerator was walking with Last Order, who was gloomy due to Uiharu leaving the apartment. She was bugging the shit out of him, but he had to tolerate her whining for the time being; the flat was being cleaned up Worst and Yomikawa due to an exploding rice cooker. Thus he was baby-sitting Last Order.

"Misaka wonder when she can see Uiharu', says Misaka as she grows bored of being ignored." Last Order walked with Accelerator's hand in hers. "Will Accelerator please take Misaka to the store to get a manga, ask Misaka, hoping to guilt him into buying." Accelerator sighed.

"Fine then brat, if you promise to leave me alone," he said. He began to follow Last Order when he sees a person walking out of the hospital catch his eye. His eyes narrow. He recognized her, and he wanted to make her suffer. Last Order however turned around, seeing Accelerator glaring.

"What is wrong, asks Misaka as Misaka notices Accelerator's anger." Accelerator turned to last order. He pointed to a bust stop bench.

"You will sit there," Accelerator began to order Last Order. "Until I return. I have some 'business' to deal with." He began to walk off when he felt Last Order grabbed his arm. "Let go brat! God Damn it Last Order, why aren't you letting go?!" Last Order glared at him.

"Misaka knows you intend to hurt someone, declares Misaka using past experiences as evidence. Misaka declares you behave like a proper gentleman should, Misaka demands with her authoritative voice!"

Accelerator wanted to seriously throw Last Order off his arm, and if it was anyone else, he would've. But Last Order meant the world to him, even if he tried to hide it, so finally sighed. He looked up, to see that the person he wanted to make suffer for what he had become once looking at him with terror in her eyes. Accelerator smirked, knowing full well that Aki knew she could be dead in seconds if he wanted to.

With Aki paralyzed in fear, Accelerator, despite Last Order's badgering him to stop, crossed to street to confront Aki. When he was within a few feet of her, he smiled.

"Well, if it isn't Kihara Aki walking to her death," started Accelerator, him tapping his chocker threating. "So what brings Aki, the betrayer and deceiver to the hospital? Did another one of your family's puppet get hospitalized, or are you bracing yourself for you death?" his voice was full of menace and he could only think about how he felt betrayed when he and Aki fought, only to learn it was all for his Leveling up.

Aki tried to move, her instincts telling her to run, fight, anything but stand up to the number one of the city. But she had to face him, especially after witnessing Uiharu's change of heart. She felt her heart race, her ribs panging in pain, as she forced herself to talk to Accelerator.

"I was here visiting a friend," Aki said as calmly as she could. Accelerator laughed.

"What friend would that be, another subject you will eventually betray?" Aki want to punch him, but she knew that would mean death. She kept her cool.

"No, my friend was shot in the lungs after being ambushed during a raid," Aki noted. "I am done with esper development, though I should've stopped after what you became." Accelerator glared at her.

"What I became was nothing compared to you or your uncle Amata! You were the true monsters, eager to use others as test subjects. But I bet you rationalized it all, saying it was for progress,' accelerator began to tap the chocker a bit more, wanting to switch it on and finish the person of his past torment. "Then again, I did finish your uncle off. He was an arrogant bastard, got what was coming to him."

Aki felt everything screaming within her. She then saw a cute little girl pop from behind Accelerator. She felt sickened, recognizing her as Last Order. She knew her uncle hunted her down, the night of his death. Aki tried to figure out why Last Order was with a monster such as Accelerator.

"He thought he developed a way to beat me. He was so proud of being to land punches at me. Too bad I launched him into the atmosphere and saw him burn up." Accelerator began to laugh, while Aki felt sick to her stomach. But Last Order's face began to redden.

"Misaka demands Accelerator stop tormenting Aki, as Misaka attempts to display her anger." Last Order glared at Accelerator as he looks down.

"And why should I, after all she has done to me? After all, I became a level Five and then I was forced to kill over ten thousands of your 'sisters.' It was her betraying what friendship we had so that I could go along with their plans!" Accelerator's fist were clenched, and he gave Aki a death glare. She had seen the glare before, and knew that if he attacked, she would die, no match for him. But Last Order stood her ground.

"Misaka threatens to have the Network turn off your computation ability, states Misaka as Misaka gives Accelerator one last chance to stop." Accelerator paled, any color from his face due to his haterd for Aki faded.

"WHAT?!" he yelled. "She was the catalyst for my descent into the darkness, and here she is! Why should she live?!" Last Order stopped glaring at Accelerator.

"Even if Aki was the catalyst, she may have changed, as Misaka uses Accelerator's past as evidence for her reason. You were able to redeem yourself, Misaka recounts, remembering how you saved Misaka from Ami Ao."

Accelerator's hand tightens on his crutch, only to loosen up moments later. He looks over to Aki, glaring at her. He then sighs.

"Fine, I will let you go, as the brat is here. But if you try anything funny, I will rip your arms off." Aki nods. Accelerator then sat down at a bench.

"So why are you really here?" Accelerator asks. "I doubt you have any friends that would've been in that raid that took place some time ago." Aki shook her head.

"I was friends by extension to Kuroko, who was a Level four teleporter," started Aki. "She was friends with Uiharu, and she is currently in rehab, getting used to her new iron lung." Last Order's face fell.

"What do you mean 'was friends with Uiharu', asks Misaka with Misaka noting Aki's choice of words." Last order really did look like Misaka was younger, but Aki couldn't feel happy. So much was happening, and she was talking with Accelerator, someone whose mere presence caused Aki great discomfort.

"Uiharu broke all ties with me and her old friends," Aki states bluntly. "Apparently, she felt betrayed by all of us, and now she is in the palm of my family's plan. Sadly, if we were to try anything, she would see it as further betrayl and come after us." Accelerator snorted, finding Aki's statement amusing.

"Oh, the betrayer gets someone to notice her betraying? Please, spare me, I don't pity you," Accelerator popped his neck. "That said, who is training Uiharu?" Aki was taken aback by Accelerator's interest in Uiharu.

"And why do you want to know about Uiharu?" Aki asked. "It's not like you two ever hung out." Accelerator laughs, unable to control himself. Last Order shook her head.

"Misaka informs Aki that Uiharu spent time at our charges' flat, and also Accelerator trained Uiharu for a month or so, Misaka states, trying to explain Accelerator's laughter." Aki stared at her, about to strangle Accelerator, thinking he might've pushed Uiharu to change her personality. However, something Uiharu said came back to her.

"Accelerator, what did you train Uiharu?" demanded Aki. Accelerator glared at her.

"I will only tell you if you inform me who is training her." Aki pauses, considering the offer, before agreeing.

"Very well. She is being trained by Alexzander Romanov, a Russian esper development specialist." Accelerator nods.

"I know him, very well known for his harsh training methods, almost on par with Amatas from what I heard," He looked at Last Order, who was staring at him, making sure he fulfilled his end of the deal. "I taught her how to use her ability as a shield, to prevent most things from touching her."

Aki paled, realizing what Accelerator had done.

"You trained Uiharu to mimic your reflection?" breathed Aki. Accelerator nodded, though he appeared miffed.

"I suppose, but it took her too long to melt anything of mention. Most of the time, I trained with shaved iron or wood fragments as anything larger or with a higher melting point would take too long for her to affect and melt." Aki paused, trying to figure out how Uiharu could burn the bullets.

"So how do you explain her turning bullets to ash?" Aki asked. Accelerator paused, before getting up, his phone had a message.

"I suppose the combustion used to propel bullets allowed he to jumpstart her ability, thus allowing her to attain a higher temperature than normal. Well Aki, I am leaving. Last order, come on, Yomikawa got the flat cleaned up."

Aki watched as Accelerator and Last Order left, and felt a bit relieved, knowing that as long as Last Order was around, Accelerator would remain calm, or perhaps it better to say restrained? Aki didn't care, as she needed to get back to her dorm before the dorm mistress unleashed her wrath on her.

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

Romanov was in an room, seeing a few people entering the room. He recognized Kihara Gensei and Katsu, but the rest he assumed were a part of the Kiharas. He rubbed his eyes, he knew that it would be a long meeting. But soon, everyone that was supposed to be here was here, and Gensei started the meeting.

"My fellow scientist," he began. "We have had, time and time again, let a great opportunity slip from our grasp due to the meddling of those on the outside." He scanned the room, making certain everyone was paying attention.

"But that ends now," he said with an air of confidence and superiority. "Now, we have the chance to achieve our goals, as well as eliminate our enemies," A picture of Uiharu, along with various graphs, was shown on the wall. "This esper, who you see before you, unwittingly accepted Dr. Romanov's offer to train at a lab we control. Along with that, the simulations ran by the new tree diagram have proven my suspicion on the true nature of her ability."

At that moment, a young female interrupted.

"But Gensei, she has a similar ability to Kihara Aki, and your attempts to have her beat Accelerator when he was a Level 4 was a complete failure," she said. She had blonde hair that was tied into a bun. "How is Uiharu Kazari supposed to beat Accelerator?" Romanov saw the others murmuring amongst themselves, but Gensei tried to regain control.

He pressed a button, which showed what the tree diagram predicted. Romanov was peering at the graph, ignoring the bickering that the blonde and Gensei were having. Romanov noted the concentration of AIM and the notes of her abilities. He paled as he read the final note.

He looked at the others, who were too busy listening to the blonde challenging Gensei's authority. He grew tired of the blonde's pettiness.

"ENOUGH!" commanded Romanov. He looked at Gensei. "Are those results accurate? For if they are…" Gensei however smiled.

"Yes Dr. Romanov, the results are accurate, within an error margin less than a tenth of a percent," The others, curious what got the Russian excited, all looked at the graphs. They all paled upon the realization.

"As you now see," Gensei said, with the others saved the blonde's attention. "The results point to Uiharu being the final solution to our problems. Once she has been trained and groomed to serve our purposes, no esper, not even the Accelerator or the Railgun, will be a threat to our operations."

But Gensei then walked around the room, seething in anger. The others were fearful of what Gensei was going to say. But Romanov had an idea of what was going to be brought up.

"However, while she could become very powerful, far beyond our comprehension, if she is discovered by others, they will seek either to gain control of her or eliminate her before she becomes a threat to their interest. And then there are those who were once loyal to our cause, but since have begun to work against us." He paused.

"These threats must be eliminated, before we show our hand," he said, with the room becoming silent. "Until they are removed, the threat to our plans is too great. Thus, we must take them out before Uiharu becomes a Level 5." The wall then displayed the three main threats. The first two, most of the people knew, as they were Kihara Aki and Takeru. The last one however most didn't recognized.

Romanov knew who it was though, and knew he would be the hardest to remove. Romanov looked at the Level 0 esper, Kamijou Touma, the Imagine Breaker. He knew that no matter the training Uiharu went under, the Imagine Breaker would be able to stop any attack and pierce any defense. Thus Romanov knew what was going to be said next.

"The three people must be eliminated from any scenario," stated Gensei. "They have been a thorn in our side for too long, and they must be eradicated. I have several in Hound Dog drawing plans to eliminate them, and when those plans have been approved, they will be taken care of."

The others were quiet. Katsu and Romanov however had seen this coming. Gensei may have been old, but his understanding of the nature of the world and how things interacted was unrivaled.

"Are there any questions before we get into the details of our plans?" asked Gensei, with Romanov only raising his hand.

"Just one question," Romanov said. "When Uiharu becomes Level 5, what will she go by?" Gensei smiled.

"Simple; Kugelblitz." The others were now excited, eager to know more of the plan. Gensei smiled, for he knew the final plan.

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

**Author's Note: The plot thickens. Also, Happy New Years! Now that is out of the way, lets get back to what we were talking about.**

**The Gensei's faction have put a kill order of Aki, Takeru, and Kamijou, so how will they deal take them out. And how will the targets try and survive? Will the others intervene to their aid or destruction?**

**I like a shout out to those who have reviewed, followed, and favorite the story; you guys are awesome and have kept me inspired me to keep writing this story.**

**Also, my plan for a second story fizzled; I bit off more than I could chew, and when I published it, it quickly was ignored and the one review made it clear that it was boring. So I deleted the second story. So for now, I am keeping to this story. Sorry about promising too much. But that said, I intend to make this story the best to my abilities!**

**And as always: please follow, favorite, and review! **


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20: New Goals

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

Misaka, Saten, and Aki were walking around the mall, mostly due to their nerves being fried by Uiharu's actions. They still hadn't gotten over her reaction to them, and each was dealing with it in their own ways. Saten wanted to get the three of them to bring sense back to Uiharu, Aki wanted to not have anything more to do with Uiharu, while Misaka wanted to punch some sense into Uiharu.

Saten looked over to Aki. She was pissed at Aki's recent cowardliness.

"Aki, we have to help Uiharu," Saten began. "She isn't herself, but I doubt she is gone from that body. Somewhere in her is the old Uiharu, and damn it, I will do anything to bring her back." She glared at Aki, who ignored Saten's reaction.

"Look, SPS isn't a mood swing, it is a personality shift," Aki explained. "That means in order to change her, you have to bring damn good reason and be willingly to hold out against her anger should she lash out. And even then, you probably wouldn't be able to get her to her old self, so please, just drop it." Aki was about to turn around when Saten grabbed her by the shoulders.

"Enough!" Saten hissed. "I am tired of not knowing what is going on with Uiharu, and I don't want to see her hurt herself or others. So please Aki, what can I do to help her?!" She was shaking, in anger and regret having to go this far to get her point across. Aki sighed.

"Fine, I will try and think of something," said Aki. "But I need time, mostly to get my old notes on SPS back, I hid those ages ago, and I need to go over them to see if I hadn't missed something." Saten released her grip on Aki's shoulders.

"Alright, so where do you need to go?" Saten asked. Aki sighed, knowing the answer, and it pissed her off. Of all the people she trusted, she had to go to him; Kihara Takeru.

"I have to see someone I rather not see," Aki replied, hoping Saten wouldn't persist. But she was wrong, and even Misaka joined in.

"I am coming with, and so is Misaka," Saten said, with Misaka nodding. "We are all Uiharu's friends, and we want to see her saved from this madness."

Aki was dumbfounded. Were they this stubborn all the time? But she was glad in a way, with the both of them, plus herself and her cousin, she doubted that anything bad would happen. She she rubbed her head, knowing how Misaka was going to react.

"Well, Misaka knows him, but I left my notes with my cousin Takeru," Aki said. Misaka's jaws dropped.

"What were you thinking?!" Misaka practically yelled, getting some attention from the other shoppers. "I thought you found the guy to be a bastard." Aki nodded.

"That is why I asked him to keep them," Aki said. "I thought that if someone wanted my notes on SPS, they wouldn't expect to find them on him." Misaka cringed. She understood Aki's logic, but still, Takeru was a bastard.

"Fine, let's go see your crazy cousin," Misaka said. "But you have to have some good news when you get your notes." Aki nodded, though in her heart, she didn't know if any good would come out of her notes.

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

Uiharu was lounging in her room, quietly musing on her training in the last few weeks. She saw the usefulness of Romanov's training, but it was physically draining. From what she saw of Anti-skill training some time before, Romanov's training was a bit more rigorous, but along the same lines. But the training was paying off.

She was able to be listed as Level 4 according to their instruments, but it would have to wait for a System Scan to verify. Her powers had become incredibly powerful. She could get an object to well over five million kelvins, or drop it to just fourteen kelvin. She had an area radius of fifty meters, and she could melt anything in her way. But she was a low Level 4, which caused her to wonder what was her upper limit.

She paused, thinking about jumping onto a computer and seeing if any simulations could give her an answer just as there was a knock at the door. She looked up, and saw Romanov with a girl. She had straight red hair, was about as tall as her, and was wearing what would be the school uniform; a black jacket with red lining and a black skirt. Romanov motioned Uiharu to get up.

"This," he began. "Is Aka Hana, she is your roommate and one of your school squad mates." The last bit caught Uiharu by surprised. Squad mates, since when did a school run like the military?

"Sir, what do you mean by squad mates?" Uiharu asked, biting her lower lip. "Is there something I am not aware of?" Romanov nodded slowly, as Aka placed her bag on the bed Uiharu wasn't using.

"Uiharu, as no doubt you know from your training that your placement at this school wasn't merely because of recent development," Romanov began. "The purpose of this school is to train espers for tactical situations when Judgment and Anti-Skill are useless." This made Uiharu uncomfortable for some reason; something nagged her that there was more. But Romanov continued.

"For this reason, each student has three other squad mates, with one designated the leader. You, being this schools one of eight level four, are naturally going to be the leader of you squad. When the other two of your school and squad mates arrive, you will begin training together, and if the training goes well, you will be sent into the field when needed." Romanov then turned around, about to leave. "Oh, by the way, please get along, I don't want to deal with high-school drama." He left, closing the door on his way out.

Uiharu turned her attention to Aka, who was currently unpacking her bag. Uiharu's saw that she was organized, making sure that her clothing didn't have wrinkles or stains. Besides that, Aka seemed to be quiet light on her feet, and she kept wiping her hands with a hand sanitizer. But she didn't know what Aka was like. Gritting her teeth for the worse, she offered her hand.

"I am Uiharu Kazari," she said. "I am a Level 4 Thermal Regulator." Aka took her hand, smiling.

"Nice to meet you, as you know, I am Aka Hana," She frowned a bit. "I am a Level 3 meltdowner." Uiharu recognized the name, but only because Romanov told her the abilities of all the Level 5, save for the number six. Meltdowner was the ability for the number four esper, and it was highly destructive.

"I see," Uiharu said. "So what all can you do?" Aka laughed.

"Well, you see, right now, I am rather weak," she admitted. "But I can create a single ray of plasma, or whatever it is, and melt most objects like it was butter. But it's nothing like the number four of the city; she can create four beams, and she is able to project them off of herself, thus allowing her the mobility to use her hands. I require the use of my right hand to use my ability."

Uiharu nodded. She sat down on her bed, stretching her arms out. Aka looked at Uiharu.

"So what is it that you do, Thermal Regulator?" Aka asked. Uiharu chuckled.

"Well, I can affect the temperature of objects, either keeping them stable, or making them hotter or colder pretty much instantly now," Uiharu began to explain. "But while I can affect the objects heat, my area of affect is within fifty meters of me. Outside that, I can't do squat. But it's useful if something coming at me, I can simply burn it before it reaches me."

Aka was surprised. She knew Uiharu was a Level 4 by what Romanov told her, but she didn't realize that this was the power of her ability, and it was only level 4. She rolled onto her back.

"So what do you think will be your limit?" Aka asked. For once, Uiharu didn't have a great answer.

"I don't know," she said. "I assume much higher temperatures, maybe achieving absolute zero, but other than that, I am not sure. I think that Romanov and the other instructors here aren't being open about my potential. I notice that they look at me like I am going to become the next Level 5." Aka nodded, feeling that Uiharu was tired of talking about her ability.

"I suppose," she said. "So what do you think of this school's squad system, and what do you think Romanov meant by tactical situations?" Uiharu laughed.

"Probably wet work, taking out threats to the city," Uiharu said. "I had a friend in Judgment end up in the hospital by Skill-Out, and Judgment immediately took the coward's stance." Aka nodded slowly.

"I see," she said quietly. "Well, I hope I won't be forced to kill." Uiharu looked at her, seeing Aka grow quiet and distancing herself from what Uiharu had said. Uiharu sighed.

"Tsk, take it from me," Uiharu said. "Any idea of being peaceful to groups such as Skill-Out died when I was tortured and drugged by them, and seeing people getting killed by them. So if you don't want to kill them, fine, but note, they won't hesitate to kill you." Uiharu could feel Aka staring at her, put off. She turned to Aka once again.

"Don't worry though," Uiharu said, trying to keep Aka on her good side. "I doubt we will have anything to do for a while except training. So focus on training and classes, don't dwell on what we might have to do." Aka nodded, and continued to put her stuff away. Uiharu got up and went to her computer, and opened a document. She intended to keep tabs on her 'squad mates', and thus began writing down what she knew on Aka. This time, she will know her 'friends' and not let them betray her.

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

Aki, Misaka, and Saten arrived at Takeru's apartment. Taking a deep breath, Aki knocked on the door. They heard someone coming to the door and unlocking the deadbolt.

"Who is it…" Takeru began to say, before laying eyes on the three of them. "Bloody hell, what are you doing here?" Aki sighed.

"Takeru, where are my notes on SPS?" she demanded. Takeru glared at her.

"Listen, I made a deal with the old man not to have any more dealings with you," Takeru said. "And since I don't want to deal with Hound Dog again, I am going to force you to leave." He was about to shut the door when Saten made a gust of wind blow the door open and forced himself to brace against the gust.

"Aki needs those notes so we can help Uiharu!" yelled Saten at Takeru. Aki tried to hold Saten back, but Saten pushed her off. "Now give Aki her notes, or I will force you!"

Takeru, surprised by the spunk of Saten, laughed. He straightens his lab jacket, and glared at her, bracing himself. He didn't know the extent of her powers, but he assumed she had an ability similar to or the same as Aero Hand.

"Well, well," He muttered. "Let's see what you are made out of!" He rushed at Saten, and before Aki and Misaka could intervene, Saten charged at him. She generated a gust of wind behind her to increase her charge, and she punched at Takeru. Or rather where she thought Takeru was.

She felt her air hit nothing, yet she couldn't comprehend what happened. Then she saw out of the corner of her eyes Takeru throwing a punch. Barely able to react, she dodges back, balancing herself on one foot. Takeru then threw another punch, this one Saten was unable to avoid.

She felt the punch hit her stomach, and she momentarily bends over from the pain. But her desire to help Uiharu pushes her, and this time she wasn't going to take chances.

She focuses the air around her, and she begins to concentrate the flow around her. Soon, a miniature tornado forms, and begins to spirals at high speed. She then send gusts of wind at Takeru, hoping to nail him.

Aki and Misaka, in the middle of this, were trying to get Takeru to stand down. But he wasn't having it; he wanted to put Saten in her place. He kept dodging her badly aimed attacks, but he didn't hold it against her. He knew she tried something on the fly and just ran into a problem; with her tornado wall, she couldn't see what was going on around her.

Saten, growing frustrated without hearing Takeru's plead for the fight to end grew annoyed. She decided to take all the energy in her tornado, and send it outward, all at once. She focused the energy to her height, figuring that making a ten foot wall of wind gust was both overkill and would weaken her gust. She focused herself, and then released the gust in one go.

The wind blew hard, breaking nearby windows, blowing cars away from her, and Misaka and Aki were forced to hug the ground to keep from flying off. Thankfully, Misaka was able to use her ability to hold her down to the ground. But Takeru was laughing, a story above Saten. Saten began to fume, angered that her plan had failed, and worse, she was exhausted.

"So," Takeru mocked, feeling smug about his success at avoiding Saten's attacks. "Since I now know what your ability, and you barely seen my ability, that means I now have a higher chance of winning. So how about you stop bossing me about?" Saten seethed at him.

"Just give Aki her notes, that way we can save Uiharu," Saten said, this time almost pleading. Takeru sighed, and jumped from the second story ledge softly.

"Problem is, Uiharu took X1, and that caused her SPS," he stated. Aki spoke up.

"We already knew that," Aki stated. "That is why we need my notes." But Takeru shook his head.

"Don't you get it?" he said. "X1 _is _the cause of SPS. While it primary function was to boost an Esper's ability, it had an unintended side-effect of causing SPS. But let me guess, you just attributed her personality shift with SPS, nothing else, right?"

Aki was about to argue, when she remembered talking to Uiharu after the incident at the lab one day. Uiharu had mentioned that she had felt worthless, that even in Judgment; she couldn't do anything, to help her friends, or to help herself. Aki stumbled upon the painful truth; Uiharu was suffering from a personality shift before being injected with X1.

Aki looked down, realizing that her notes were for naught, and cried. Misaka came over and looked at Aki's face.

"Aki, what's wrong?" Misaka asked. "What was it that Takeru said that is hurting you?" Aki felt tears cascading down her cheeks.

"Uiharu, SPS, she was suffering it before X1," Aki said. Misaka stepped back.

"No, it couldn't!" yelled Misaka. "Uiharu still regarded us as friends; it was X1 and several misunderstanding that caused her to change!" But Aki shook her head.

"But it's true, what Takeru said; her personality began to change after I met her and the failure to find the lab the first time." Aki then sat down, weeping. Saten looked at Aki, and felt sick. Did this meant that they couldn't help Uiharu? She looked at Takeru.

"Takeru," Saten began. "What exactly does X1 do?" Takeru smirked.

"Fine, X1 is compressed AIM fields that are stabilized by certain chemicals and protein," Takeru began to explain. "The AIM fields increase the esper's ability, but that much added AIM tends to corrupt the personality of the esper." He sighed, looking at the mess Saten had made.

"In Uiharu's case, with her changing personality already happening, X1 probably was like adding water to an oil fire. It enflamed the shift dramatically and faster than it would've taken." He saw his cousin still crying. He felt pity, seeing her like this once before, when her friend became the monster that was Accelerator. He then shook his head.

"Aki, while I doubt it's much consolation, I do have your notes still," Takeru said. "And I can give them to you, along with my notes on X1, as the old man gave me the means to manufacture X1." Aki, Misaka, and Saten looked up at Takeru.

"What?" Misaka asked. "Why would you want to make X1?" Takeru shrugged.

"Because in this city, it would sell like wildfire. But also, I supposed because I could actually make it safer, without the dangers of SPS." Aki, with her eyes red, smiled at this.

"Thank you cousin," Aki said. "Now, can I have my notes, so that we can figure out how to help Uiharu?" Takeru kicked a can on the ground.

"Fine, but you are paying for the damages," he said, pointing to the shattered glass. Saten paled, but thankfully Misaka laughed.

"If that is what it takes, fine," Misaka said. She was about to leave when she remembered why Saten and Takeru fought. "What about your old man?" Takeru popped his knuckles.

"I figure if a Level 3 Aero hand, wavelength modifier, and the Level 5 Railgun came to my door demanding information, I figure that I could be forgiven for giving you the information that was already yours to begin with." With that, Takeru head into his apartment, only coming back out to hand Aki her notes.

Aki looked relieved upon seeing her notes. Misaka and Saten came over.

"Have we got what we need to help Uiharu now?" Saten asked, still a bit numb from the shock of Misaka's attack. Aki paused, thinking.

"Perhaps," was all she could say for sure.

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

Romanov was in meeting room with Katsu and Kihara Gensei. He felt uncomfortable, not due to the atmosphere of the room, but rather what they were discussing.

"So Romanov, how is Uiharu coming along?" Gensei asked. Romanov popped his neck before answering.

"She is already Level 4, quite a feat considering how about three, four months ago she was a Level 1. But getting her to become Level 5 will take more time, possibility taking all of summer and spring to achieve." Gensei nodded.

"Very well," Gensei said. He turned to Katsu. "How are Hound Dog's plans coming along?"

Katsu was promoted to be the leader of Hound Dog after Uiharu agreed to join the school, which was being ran by Gensei under a false name and her training being led by Romanov.

"Not great," he admitted. "The problem we run into is how to remove them from the situation. Just today, Aki and Takeru met, and Takeru handed some papers to Aki." Gensei's face hardened at this.

"I believe we already note he was a possible threat," Gensei said. "If need be, we can force him six feet under." Katsu nodded, noting Gensei's lack of regard to family.

"Of course," Katsu said. "However, killing them would possible raise more questions that it would remove. Thus if we were going to kill him, we need a way to make his death sound, like it wasn't just a random killing." Gensei looked at him.

"What do you suggest?" Katsu felt the pressure was on him.

"With all respect, giving Takeru the formula to X1 was a bad idea, it made sense at the time, but now it could bite us. However, if we can make X1 illegal.." Gensei smiled, seeing where this was going.

"Very well, I will contact Academy City's leadership, and get them to ban the production of X1. That way, we can raid Takeru's facility and kill him as though he was trying to resist." Katsu nodded, as that was his idea.

"As for Aki and that Kamijou kid, Hound Dog hasn't a suitable plan that doesn't make their death's plausible." Gensei stayed silent. "That said, we believe we can distract the kid by keeping him out of the way of our plans."

"And how exactly do you plan this?"

"Simple, he has a freeloader at his place he is seemingly willingly to go to anything length to protect. We just contact a few people, and have them keep the kid occupied." Gensei smiled, liking the plan.

"So that leaves Aki," Gensei said. Romanov spoke up.

"Sir," he began. "I think it would be beneficial if I took care of Aki with an idea I have been thinking about." Gensei looked at him.

"And what would it entail?" Romanov passed him a folder, labeled 'Black Rose'. Gensei read the file quietly, before finally closing it.

"Very well, if you think you can convince Uiharu to take care of Aki, then so be it. If it can reduce the time it takes her to become a Level 5, then it is worth the risks." Gensei got up.

"You two have you jobs, and I have mine," he said. "Now get to work." He left the room, leaving Katsu and Romanov alone. Katsu rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"Romanov, are you sure your plan would work?" Katsu cautioned. "If Uiharu can't kill her, what do you plan to do about it?" Romanov shrugged.

"I intend to force Uiharu into killing Aki. With her soon tight group, she will be forced to kill to keep them safe." Katsu shot a glare at Romanov.

"Even if she grows tight to them, and even though she hates Aki and her old friends, that doesn't mean she will be willingly to kill them." Romanov shrugged it off.

"If that were so, then how do armies train soldiers to kill?" Romanov got up and left, leaving Katsu alone, doubting Romanov's plan.

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

**Author's Notes: Another chapter, and the end of another Arc. So we see that Aki, Saten, Misaka, and soon Kuroko will be working together to bring Uiharu back to the light. Meanwhile the Kiharas are trying their best to undo their efforts, and get Uiharu to Level 5. And Uiharu met the first person in her 'squad'. What is Uiharu going to do, and who will she turn to for help?**

**I was flooded with reviews, with suggestions on what I should do, and I am very happy. I am going to consider some of the suggestions. I don't know what exactly I will have planned for the next Arc, but trust me, we will see the others in Uiharu's squad, and we see them on their first mission, which I am debating what they will be doing. Probably going to pay Skill-Out a visit.**

**So I need your help: what should Uiharu's other two class mates' abilities are and what should their first mission be? Please leave a suggestion in the review or PM me. And be descriptive! I will read over the suggestions, but the more detailed the suggestion, the more likely I will be to work with it.**

**As always, please favorite, follow, and review!**


	21. Chapter 21: Flames of Eternal DespairARC

Arc: Flames of Eternal Despair

Chapter 21: Fight in the Park

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\/\/\/

Uiharu was standing in the office of Dr. Romanov. She was with Aka Hana, facing two other students. Since Kigatazu Academy allowed for both male and female students, Uiharu wasn't surprised by the two boys in front of her.

One had black hair, blue eyes, and was fairly tall. He wore the male school uniform, something that reminded her of an old military uniform, with a black/red scheme. He filled the uniform nicely, and he was smiling, something the others weren't doing. The other was much shorter than the first, with blonde hair and green eyes. He was a bit more built, his muscles showing through his uniform. He was fidgeting, growing tired of waiting; Romanov had yet to arrive.

Uiharu glanced back at the first boy, who stood at rigid attention. She sized him up, but without knowing his ability, she knew that any assumptions she made about him could easily be wrong. She decided to know who she was dealing with. She approached him with her hand out for a shake.

"My name is Uiharu Kazari," she said. "What is your name?" The boy shook her hand firmly.

"I merely go by my ability name Radar," he said. "I was a child error, and I grew up in various labs and schools." Uiharu nodded. Sometimes child errors were used for experiments, but others, if they showed potential, were given special scholarships to go to various academies.

"So what is your ability, Radar?" Uiharu asked. Radar smirked.

"I am able to pin point the location of any object relative to me using my AIM field to notice slight changes in my field, like radio waves are used to detect the range and speed of aircraft. But I am only Level 3, so my range is quite short, about three hundred meters." Uiharu turned to the other boy.

"And what about you?" she asked, looking at the shorter boy. He shrugged.

"The name's Kazuki and my ability is to manipulate the mass of objects that I can touch," Kazuki said. Uiharu frowned, wondering what he could only affect objects that he touched. She brought this up, but Kazuki laughed.

"Because that is the way I trained," he explained. "I would rather be able to affect the mass of my hands when I throw a punch to give it more force than affect objects out of my reach. Think of it this way; with my fighting skills and my ability, I could put most professional fighters into the hospital."

Uiharu nodded respectfully, understanding his stance. She then began to wonder if one's ability could change into something else depending on the training, but at that moment Romanov entered. He came in briskly, wasting no time.

"I will assume you have greeted yourselves," he said. "In which case I shall begin. You four will be a part of the squad program. From now on, you four will train together, and take classes together. You are now officially Squad Alpha." Romanov went over to his desk and sat down. By now, Radar and Kazuki stood next to Aka and Uiharu respectively.

"If your training is successful, you will take on situations that are deemed nessacry by the board of directors of this city. Thus, your training will be rigorous and harsh, to make you discipline and able to follow orders. Are there any questions?" Radar raised his hand.

"Sir, who will be leading squad Alpha?' he asked, being courteous. Romanov sighed.

"You will follow Uiharu's orders when on missions, but at the school, you will follow me, as I will be the instructor for your squad." Radar shot a glance at Uiharu, wondering why she was in command. "As of now, you will refer to me as either Dr. Romanov or sir. Now, go to your dorms, school begins tomorrow."

With that, Uiharu, Aka, Kazuki, and Radar left Romanov's office. When they started down the hall to their dorms, Radar and Kazuki blocked Uiharu's path.

"Why are you leading our squad?" Radar asked, with Kazuki nodding. Uiharu sighed, annoyed that Romanov didn't fill them in on her ability. But then again, she had to find out about theirs.

"Very well," she began. "The reason is because I, unlike you two, am a Level 4, and if I wanted, I could make the corridor as hot as I like, until I reach the upper limits of my ability, which I think sits around one billion kelvin, but that is for a short period of time for an area this big. And that is me only being a very weak Level 4, I am not peak level 4."

Radar and Kazuki stepped aside, realizing that their assumptions of Uiharu were misplaced. Uiharu opened the door to her and Aka's dorm, with Radar and Kazuki following. She sat down at her chair, and Aka sat on her bed. The boys leaned against the wall.

"So what do you think the training will focus on?" Radar asked. Aka shrugged.

"Probably group exercises designed to exploit our abilities together, maybe some physical training, on top of the usual esper development training." The others nodded. Kazuki yawned.

"So, what about you?" he said, pointing at Aka. "We haven't been introduced yet." Aka blushed a little.

"I am Aka Hana, Level 3 Meltdowner," she said quickly. "Not much else to talk about." Radar nodded.

"Right, well since we have nothing to do until tomorrow, you guys want to head out to relax before we enter the fray?" Both Aka and Kazuki nodded, but Uiharu was still debating in her head. On one hand, they were going to be her squadmates, and they probably would be with each other a lot, but on the other, she had been cooped up at the school for a while.

"Sure," she said after a while. "Why the hell not? I have had enough of this room for a while, I could use the fresh air."

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

Uiharu and her 'squad mates' ended up in the park, after spending most of the day in the underground mall. The evening glow was refreshing to Uiharu, and she was resting on a tree. She looked over to Radar, who was talking with Aka while Kazuki was practicing throwing well aimed punches at a tree.

She sighed when she felt her ability kick in and she saw a pile of ash fall a couple of feet in front of her. She got up, and the others took noticed.

"What's wrong Uiharu?" Radar asked, and Uiharu noticed he was scanning the area for possible threats. Kazuki and Aka got closer to Uiharu, not wanting to be in the open if possible. She looked at Radar.

"I believe someone took a shot at me," Uiharu stated calmly. "By my guess, it is probably Skill-Out." The others would've been shocked had Uiharu not explain her situation while they ate lunch earlier. As it was, they nodded.

"Well, who ever it was, they are outside of my ability's reach," Radar explained. "That means they are in excess of three hundred meters." Uiharu took it in, which sent a chill down her spine.

"That would mean they are using high-caliber weapons," she noted. "We need to get out of here." The others nodded; Kazuki was useless in a long range fight, and Aka, while her ability had range, was limited by the fact she could only produce one plasma beam.

They began to run when Radar spoke up.

"We have multiple people incoming from in front of us," he stated calmly. "Uiharu, any ideas?" Uiharu glared. They had shooters behind them, and now more people coming from in front. The park lacked much cover, so they couldn't hide, and running would leave them open.

"We are going to have to fight them," Uiharu stated. "Aka, work with Radar to knock out the closest threat, and Kazuki, stay near me, I will keep bullets from touching you." They all nodded, with Kazuki cracking his knuckles.

"Fine by me," he said, and they split off. Uiharu saw red lasers pointed at her, but while bullets came towards her, she burnt them long before they became a threat. Kazuki kept up with Uiharu, wanting to stay in her 'bubble'.

"So what am I going to do?" he said, noting that Uiharu, despite her power, was growing tired of keeping her ability active. Uiharu got behind a tree, reducing her ability spread.

"I think that you are going to have to deal with them if they get close. If you feel able, exit my bubble and take out the guys closest to you." Kazuki smiled at that.

"Alright then, let's get this over with." When two members of Skill-Out came into sight, Kazuki rushed them, his fists ready to deal damage.

The skill-out soldiers, not knowing there were other espers in the park other than Uiharu, didn't expect Kazuki to come at them like a bull, but they thought he wasn't much of a threat, not with them having PP-2000s. But they were in for a rude shock when Kazuki, from one punch, completely crushed one of the soldier's ribcage. He collapsed onto the ground, knocked out. The other panicked, running away.

"Good job Kazuki," complimented Uiharu. She was about to get up when she saw four other Skill-Out soldiers come into sight, aiming right at Kazuki.

"Get down Kazuki!" she yelled, rushing forward, trying to burn the bullets before they got near him. She managed to stop most of the bullets, but one knick Kazuki in the shoulder. He gasped in pain, and Uiharu formed a heat wave to keep her and Kazuki safe. The Skill-Out soldiers fired on them , but stopped when they realized that their bullets weren't doing anything. One of them step forward.

"Now, I only want Uiharu boy," he said, addressing Kazuki. "If you give her up, I promise you, we won't hurt you." He smirked, but Kazuki glared at him.

"Like hell I will," he said. "And anyway, you see what she is doing to your bullets, and I am right next to her, imagine what she will do to me if I try to give her up." The Skill-Out soldier glared at him, but ended up smiling.

"Well, since we believe we figured out Uiharu's ability's reach, we can keep back, always forcing you to keep your ability up, just in case, and wait until she tires. Then we kill her and you. But if you change your mind, we will spare you."

Uiharu and Kazuki both glared, but not at the man's statement, but rather the harsh truth of his statement. Uiharu would eventually tire, and be forced to rest. They knew also that Kazuki's lack of reach was now a pain in the ass right now.

"Why didn't you train to extend your ability's reach?" Uiharu groaned. "Did you have to make it well suited for close range fighting?" Kazuki sighed.

"Because I thought that I could easily close the distance with anyone I was fighting and take them out before they could do any serious damage. But I hadn't considered a situation where I would be staring down the barrel of several sub machine guns." Uiharu groaned, wishing that Radar and Aka were having better luck.

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

Aka and Radar were just finishing their fight with three Skill-Out soldiers. Aka had handled them easily by using the trees as cover and using Radar's ability to allow her to take them out one by one. She didn't try and kill the men, instead focusing on their hands and preventing them from using their guns. She looked over at Radar when they could heard a number of guns firing.

"You think Uiharu and Kazuki are doing fine?" she asked. Radar shook his head.

"No, they are pinned down, by about ten Skill-Out members," he stated. "And I don't think anyone has called from Anti-Skill yet, so we have to do something, and fast." They knew that while Uiharu had a lot of power, her range was currently limited and she would grow more tired the longer she was forced to keep her ability up.

"But how do you propose we take them out?" Aka asked. "I can't make multiple beams, and even If I could, the most I would be able to make would be four beams, that is how many the number four of this city can make." Radar sighed. He pulled out some silver cards to Aka's amusement.

"I got access to these cards when we were in the mall earlier,' he began. "They are silicon cards. I read that the number four uses these cards to reflect her ability into multiple beams from a single beam. I figure that you could use them to attack multiple targets. So I think that is how we can take them out."

Aka smiled at Radar, and considered the cards. They were light weight and portable, but she wondered how she would be able to aim them. But she knew Uiharu didn't have much time left.

"Alright, then help me get into the best position to take them out," Aka said to radar. He nodded, and led her to a bush where they saw Uiharu and Kazuki facing ten Skill Out soldiers. Aka cursed in her head, wondering if Uiharu had a plan.

But she pulled out the silicon card, and thought of something; if she had three cards, with the first directing its beams into the second, and the second into the third, could she produce as many beams as she could if she had three beams and three silicon cards.

She threw the three silicon cards in front of her, and produced her beam of plasma. As predicted, the beam entered the first card, and began to reflect into multiple beams. These waves hit the second and then the third, producing a massive wall of plasma at the Skill-Out soldiers. They saw this and did the only thing they could've done; split up to avoid getting hit.

Aka saw Uiharu yelling at Kazuki, and the two of them entered the chaos. Radar tapped Aka on the shoulder.

"Aka, take out those farthest from Uiharu and Kazuki," he said. "I suggest the Skill-out leader, one o'clock." Aka found him, readying a grenade. She produced a green beam, and shot it at him. He didn't have time to react, as the beam destroyed the grenade in his hand.

Meanwhile, Uiharu had taken to setting the ground beneath many of the Skill-Out members into lava, but most were able to scramble out of the way and run for their lives. Kazuki was destroying other members, crushing their rib cages with punches to their chest and breaking their arms when he got ahold of them. Soon, only the Skill-Out leader remained the others on the ground broken or running in terror.

He glared at Uiharu and the three other espers. He looked at them with disgust.

"So we were the ones walking into hell then," he spat out. "It doesn't matter. You will die Uiharu, whether it is in three days or 3 years, Skill-Out will make you pay for what you did!" Uiharu brushed her hair out of her faced.

"Really now, I wasn't the one who burnt the lab down, nor was I the one responsible for killing your men in there," she stated calmly. "But this is getting ridiculous, you sent your men to their deaths today, and it was only due to them running or being knocked out that they didn't die."

She looked over to Kazuki, who was nursing his wound, and then to Aka and Radar, both of whom were sweating from using their ability a bit much. But she felt her heart racing, she was very tired from having to keep the bullets at bay. She looked at the vending machine, and got a bottle of water. The Skill-Out leader followed her.

She soon dumped the water on him. The Skill-Out leader laughed.

"Oh, what is this, some petty taunt?" he said. Uiharu shook her head. She then froze the water, encasing his entire body in a hardened case of ice. The leader try to struggled, but the ice has everywhere, and his clothing only made it that much harder to break.

"I don't need to deal with being a killer," Uiharu said. "So while you are encased in ice, I believe Anti-Skill will arrive and take you in. You go to prison, and I don't have to deal with you anymore." She turned to leave, but paused. "Oh, when you get your one call, please tell your bosses to stop coming after me, or your men will die."

As the Skill-Out kept cursing her, Uiharu looked over to Kazuki.

"Hey, do you need to go to the hospital?" she asked. Kazuki shook his head.

"Nah, I will be fine. By the way, thanks Aka for causing those idiots to break up." Aka blushed, nodding.

"No problem, though it was Radar's idea to use the silicon cards to enhance my ability." Uiharu nodded.

"Well, thanks to you two, you spared us a trip to the morgue," Uiharu said. "But lets get back to the dorm, I don't want to be out here any longer than needed tonight." The others nodded, and they headed back to their dorms, tired from the fight in the park.

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

Yomikawa arrived at the park, after hearing that a cell of Skill-Out soldiers attempted to make a move in the park. While it was unclear who they were after, Yomikawa had a few people that Skill-Out would be after.

She got out of her car, and saw both Anti-Skill and Judgment officers quarantining the park, and trying to gather evidence. She saw several Skill-Out memebers, some with their hands burnt off, others in body supports, and one who was being unthawed due to being cocooned in ice.

She saw Kuroko, who was merely handling the flow of traffic near the park. Kuroko's place in Judgment was nearly taken, but due to her service record, and that her iron lung was sufficient most of the time, she remained. Yomikawa approached Kuroko.

"So Kuroko, what happened here?" Yomikawa asked. "I heard that the park turned into a battleground." Kuroko nodded.

"Our guess is that Skill-Out tried to take out someone, but they were surprised and lost control of the situation," Kuroko rubbed the bridge of her nose, trying to ease some pressure. "That said, currently everyone thinks they were after Uiharu, because of that." Kuroko pointed behind her.

Yomikawa turned and saw to her surprise a patch of lava that was beginning to harden. Yomikawa sighed, noting that Uiharu could easily have created the lava. But she saw that based on the injuries of some of the Skill-Out members and other damages to the park that Uiharu wasn't alone.

"So who else was here?" Yomikawa asked. Kuroko shrugged.

"I wouldn't know for now, I am merely directing traffic, you would have to asked Konori." Yomikawa left Kuroko, trying to find Konori. She found Konori interrogating the one Skill-Out soldier who just had been unthawed.

"Who were you after?" Konori asked. The Skill-Out soldier smirked.

"Does it matter, esper? We could be after anyone, and it wouldn't make a damn difference!" Yomikawa glanced at some of the weapons that were picked up from the scene. She saw they were similar to the ones used in the ambush, and Yomikawa figured she could use this as leverage.

"Alright punk, listen up," Yomikawa addressed the Skill-Out soldier. "I see that you have weapons similar to ones used in an ambush that killed several Judgment officers. Now, if you cooperate, you might avoid getting a life sentence for the ambush."

The Skill-Out soldier blanched a bit. He was considering if it was worth going to prison for the rest of his days over the actions of others in Skill-Out. He sighed, bowing his head in defeat.

"Fine, I will talk," he said. "We were after Uiharu, however, we didn't expect her to have friends." Konori looked at him.

"What friends?" she asked, glancing at Kuroko suspiciously. The Skill-Out soldier saw Konori's face and laughed.

"Looking at the pink hair officer? Well I will tell you that she wasn't in on it," he shuddered, a wind breeze blowing on him. "Nah, it was two guys and one girl. The girl had red hair and could project plasma from her hand. That is how those guys lost their hands. Then we had some lad who didn't do much but aid the girl. Then we had Mr. fist-of-god break those poor bastards' rib cage with a single hit."

Konori and Yomikawa sighed; at least Kuroko, Misaka, Saten, nor Aki were responsible. But this left them wondering who the three other espers were. Konori looked at Yomikawa, back turned to the Skill-Out soldier.

"Thanks for getting him talking," Konori said. Yomikawa nodded.

"No problem. But about the others with Uiharu, any idea on how you are going to identify them?" Konori nodded.

"Since we now know who Skill-Out was after, we can follow Uiharu from the park and once we get an ID on the other espers, we can piece together what happened." Yomikawa nodded.

"So what is going to happen to Uiharu?" she asked. "If Skill-Out was trying to kill her, then it would be self-defense, right?" Konori nodded.

"I doubt Judgment is going to fuss over what Uiharu or her 'friends' did, but we need to talk to them and confirm what happened anyway." Yomikawa nodded, and went back to her car. She sighed, hearing her phone ring. She picked it up, to hear Accelerator on the other end of the line.

"Oi, Yomikawa, when are you getting back?" he asked, rather irritated. "The two brats won't leave me alone!" Yomikawa chuckled, amused that the number one of the city was unable to deal with Worst and Last Order.

"Probably within a hour, thought that isn't important at the moment." Yomikawa could hear Accelerator plopping into a chair.

"Oh, what is more important than keeping the brats in line?" he mocked.

"It appears that Skill-Out, in their infinite wisdom, thought to go after Uiharu again." She heard Accelerator laugh.

"How did that go?" he asked, and Yomikawa could feel him smirking.

"Not too well for them, most ended up losing their hands, having a broken rib cage, or in the case of one idiot being frozen in a block of ice. It turned out Uiharu had three friends with her." She heard Accelerator sigh.

"Reminds me of GROUP, though I don't think Uiharu is that far into the darkness of this city. Though any idea of whom the others were?" Yomikawa shook her head, even though Accelerator couldn't notice.

"No, all we have is one red head girl, and two guys. But I will be getting more information once we back trace Uiharu's day and see who she was with."

"Alright, need me to do anything?" Accelerator offered. Yomikawa paused, debating getting Accelerator involved. She could use the help, but how to use him? She finally got an idea.

"Yeah, maybe. I need you to keep tabs on Uiharu the best you can." She heard Accelerator sigh.

"And how, might I ask, am I to do that? I am not easily hidden you know." Yomikawa laughed.

"True, but with Last order and Worst, along with the other sisters in the city, you could form one impressive net to observe Uiharu." She then felt Accerlator getting excited.

"Oh, I get to spy without having to leave my room then? Fine, consider me in, though I will talk with the brats and get them on board." Yomikawa was about to respond when the line went dead. She smiled, glad to see Accelerator actually helping out.

She got into her car, pondering what Uiharu was up to. She debated going to see Uiharu herself, but decided against it. She didn't need to bother her, at least not after tonight. She drove off, her mind thinking a thousand possibilities.

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

**Author's note: Another chapter, another fight scene! Hopefully the fight scene was interesting. I am not good with describing a fight, though I intend to become proficient at it. That said, we see Uiharu's squad in action, and we see Yomikawa planning to do something about Uiharu. **

**I welcome the flow of reviews and suggestions, though I must ask; if you have a suggestion, please send it to me in a private message. If you don't have an account, then it's alright to leave it in the review, but I prefer PM to quickly respond to suggestions.**

**With that said, one question for you guys; do you want to see a pairing, and if so, between whom? Please send in your suggestions.**

**And as always, please favorite, follow, and review!**


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22: Prelude to the storm

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

Romanov was observing Uiharu, Aka, Kazuki, and Radar's training session. He smirked, noting their adaptability to the training session. He had modeled it around military training, and it was designed to get Uiharu to Level 5. But it had some flaws.

First was that it was time consuming, but his plans for Uiharu and the others' tactical situations, he could reduce the time from the end of summer to midsummer. Second, the training room, while suitable for Level 3s or Level 4s with non-destructive abilities, was unsuitable for Uiharu's Alpha squad. He rubbed the bridge of his nose, knowing that Kigatzu was rushed; maybe in the summer they could update the training ground to be more suitable.

He noted Uiharu's ability to produce a shield of heat to protect against in coming threats. While great against bullets, something like Aka's plasma beam or Misaka's electrical arc would pass through unhindered. But that wasn't all; Uiharu had begun controlling multiple systems, up to four. It appeared she preferred a blend of defense and offense; making sure no attacks reached her and then either raising or lowering the heat around her enemy.

He looked at Radar and Aka, who were practicing coordinating their efforts to take out multiple targets. He smiled; the pair were naturals at interception tactics. Kazuki meanwhile focused on his fighting style, which was heavily influenced by boxing. He preferred to hit hard and get out. Alpha squad was talented, and Romanov had to improve their skills.

He took down some notes when Katzu came up to him. Katzu smirked when he saw Uiharu training.

"So how is Kugelblitz?" Katzu asked. Romanov sighed.

"She has yet to reach Level 5, so calling her that is unproductive. But besides your naming technicality, Uiharu is making progress." He past Katzu his notes. "Despite her power, she is fairly easy to train. But that said, I fear she will be resistant to being a Level 5." Katzu looked at him, confused.

"But what about her SPS, didn't her personality shift?" Katzu asked. Romanov nodded. "So what is there to fear?" Romanov sighed, observing Uiharu melting the incoming targets.

"I think that while she is willingly to hurt those that harmed her, she doesn't have the personality to hurt those who merely anger her. Look at Accelerator and Kakine; both of them had overly aggressive behaviors that crossed the realm of psychopaths. Uiharu meanwhile is passive aggressive, only snapping when forced to, not when she wants to."

Katzu nodded, understanding Romanov's perspective. If Uiharu didn't change her morals, and thus allow herself to becoming violent on a whim, she may not be able to crest, regardless of what the Tree-Diagram said.

"So what do you plan for Uiharu, and what does Aki have to do with it?" Katzu asked, remembering the file labeled Black Rose. Romanov popped his neck.

"I figure that if Uiharu can kill Aki, then she can crest the Level 5 boundary," Romanov began. "Thus I am trying to determine how to set Uiharu up to kill Aki." Katzu paled a bit.

"Are you certain that is the best course?" Katzu asked. "Does Aki need to die for Uiharu to transition into Level 5?" Romanov nods.

"Yes, and you saw Gensei, he approved of it," Romanov leans on the window to face Katzu. "Besides, don't you have to worry about Takeru and that Kamijou kid?" Katzu laughed.

"True, but thankfully, my plans are working out. The Board of Directors has banned the production of X1, which will now allow Hound Dog to raid Takeru. The announcement will be made just a few minutes before the planned raid, so he can't skip town."

Romanov smiled. Katzu may have preferred to tinker with toxins, but he was quite capable of planning things to keep the blowback from hitting him.

"As for the Kamijou kid, apparently Gensei made a call to some people interested in that girl that he lives with. I met with them, and they seem eager to keep him busy by taking the girl. If it comes down to it, they will be eager to kill him. Why the girl is important, I won't know, but they seem very interested in her."

Katzu sighed, observing Uiharu's training, sighs. He spent many days and nights observing her, making sure that Uiharu was worth the time, and now here she was. But there was some risk she couldn't overcome the Level 5 barrier.

He pauses, thinking about how Romanov's seemed certain that the only way for Uiharu to become level 5 is to commit murder, and on Aki. That would require a great deal of wrath. He frowns, debating an idea. Romanov' observing Katzu, waves his hand in front of him.

"Earth to Katzu, you still with me?" Romanov jokes. Katzu shakes himself.

"Romanov, have you thought about how you are going to convince Uiharu to kill Aki?" Katzu asked. Romanov shrugs.

"Not really, I figure to put her in a life or death situation, or put her squad in a place where their deaths were based on her becoming Level 5, and thus killing Aki ensured her or her squad's life." Katzu glared at Romanov.

"Despite being smart, you are rather thick headed," Katzu snaps. "You know your training is designed to keep Uiharu discipline and to follow orders, so putting her in those situations, she would use her training to come up with a solution." Romanov runs his hand through his hair, realizing the flaws with his first plan.

"Very well, what do you propose?" Romanov asks. Katzu chuckled.

"What do hormonal teenagers want more than anything?" Katzu asked rhetorically. Romanov laughs.

"What get her to fall for someone?" Romanov asks for clarification. Katzu nods. Romanovs ponders for a bit, before smiling. "That would work, but do we have Aki kill this someone, or have said person influence her?" Katzu looks at him, almost mocking Romanov.

"Why not both?" Romanov laughs again.

"Very well, but who?" Romanov askes, seriously this time. Katzu pauses; he didn't have a clue.

"Well, I am not good with people, so that would be up to you," Katzu said, evading the question. "But it can't be anyone here; she will see them as merely comrades with your training." Romanov nodded. But Katzu pulled out a newspaper, handing it to Romanov.

"Have you seen this though?" Katzu asked. Romanov read the headline: **Skill-Out Strikes Again! **He read the article, learning that it took place in the park, with many of Skill-Out members ending up in the hospital. Romanov rolls the paper up and nods to Katzu.

"I heard about it, from Uiharu and her squad mates," Romanov states. "They stated they were ambushed, and they took them out. So what is going to happen, will we need to deal with Anti-Skill and Judgment?" Katzu sighs.

"Probably, thankfully they are trying to ID the other 'espers', but that won't take long. Thankfully, Anti-Skill and Judgment has no jurisdiction here, and thus we can stop them from interfering with Uiharu's training."

"Very well, is there anything else you needed to talk to me about?" Katzu shakes his head.

"No, this is pretty much it," he said. "Well, have a good day training Uiharu; I got a raid to orchestrate." Katzu then turns on his hell and leave, leaving Romanov to continue observing Uiharu taking out the targets with her squad mates.

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

Following the training session, Uiharu, Aka, Kazuki, and Radar went to Uiharu's school dorm.

"God, if I had to take out another target, I was going to find some way to strangle the designer of that test!" Uiharu yelled. All day, she pretty much had to have her ability up, and was feeling the effects of being dehydrated and having the mother of all headaches. She rubbed her forehead gently, trying to ease the pain. Aka smirked.

"At least you didn't have to feel the need to punch Radar," Aka said. "I swear Radar, by the end, I wanted to punch you, you were acting like a nagging boyfriend." Radar felt his cheeks heat up, but he remained calmed.

"I know, but they kept trying to jam my ability, so sorry," he said. Aka accepted the apology. Kazuki laughed.

"Well, that's all fine and dandy, I got to practice my jabs and lunges," Kazuki said. "Thankfully I didn't have to rub any wounds with salt." Uiharu winced at the thought of placing salt in a wound.

"That must be painful," Uiharu commented. Kazuki nodded.

"It is, but it does prevent it from getting nasty," he said. "So, enough about our training, what are we going to do now, we have a couple of hours before dinner." Uiharu paused, debating on merely taking a nap or going out to town. But Aka intervened.

"Let's head out, we can get something to eat, the food at the cafeteria is terrible at the moment." Uiharu couldn't argue against that, the food was pretty abysmal. She got up, and grabbed her bag.

"Fine, let's go before it gets any darker," Uiharu said. "I need to get some things before, so how about I get what I need and meet you guys later." The other nodded, and Uiharu left.

She needed to update her PDA file on her squad mates, having been stopped before due to them staying up late last night and not giving Uiharu time to update it. But also, she needed to get some time away from her new mates, they were a bit more active than her old friends.

She felt a pang of regret, thinking of how her friendship with Misaka, Saten, Aki, and Kuroko ended. She felt someone next to her as she walked to a shopping outlet. She turned and saw what she looked like before all this happened; her 'light-self'.

_"What are you doing?" her light-self asked. "Is it really worth being cruel and cold to get power?" _Uiharu chuckled.

_ "Why not? If I can get power, I won't need to rely on others to protect me and I can protect others."_

_ "But you already can do that; look at the incident at the park! You protected Kazuki, and stopped them from killing him and you!" _Her light-self countered. Uiharu felt her fist tighten.

_ "But I still need Aka and Radar to come in and bail us out of that mess! So I need more power to keep myself and other's safe." _Her light-self sighed.

_ "But it doesn't hurt to rely on others. Also, if you believe being cruel is right, then why am I still here?" Uiharu flared up, her face contorted in anger._

_ "SHUT UP! It is because I am weak, and have yet to become powerful enough to disregard such petty emotions." _Uiharu argued. Her light-self shook her head.

_ "Without emotions, how can you be willingly to push yourself? Without emotions, you won't be able to have a reason to become powerful." _

_ "Really, is power not a reason enough?" _Uiharu mocked_. "I figured that having power is more than sufficient to justify my reasons. Others have settled for less." _Her light-self, realizing that arguing was futile, left, leaving Uiharu to contemplate her file.

She began to fill in the data, noting their levels and abilities, and frowned. Of the group, she was more powerful. Yet in theory, Aka could already beat her, despite Uiharu being Level 4 and Aka being Level 3. Uiharu's ability couldn't do squat against plasma, and her range was much shorter than Aka's range.

Feeling annoyed with this revelation, she went into an outlet mall, and began to look at some books and other material regarding esper development. She wanted to get a grasp of her power, and was determined to be able to become stronger than any other esper, even Accelerator.

She was looking at a book, reading the back of the book to see if it was worth her time when she felt a slight tug at her bag. She turned on her heel, and saw a person a bit older than her running off with her wallet. She snarled, and chased after him.

She saw the person turn into an alley, and she turned into the alley, seeing the person only have one way out. Since he was only about ten meters ahead of her, she began to heat the air ahead of him. He ran into the air mass, and almost immediately began to burn. He got out, only to be facing Uiharu.

"So," she began. "Who the hell do you think you are?" Uiharu noted the boy's yellow spiky hair and red jacket. He was average in height, but his face had the expression of being caught. The boy paled a bit.

"Look," he began. "I needed a bit of money, otherwise my friends are going to kick the shit out of me. But I didn't realize it was you!" He backed up, much to Uiharu's surprise.

"Who were you expecting?" Uiharu said. The kid paled a bit.

"I didn't expect a Judgment officer was the one I was robbing, but I recognized you from all the times Yomikawa thrown my ass into a cell for the night." Uiharu frowned, a bit upset that he didn't fear her due to her but rather her previous association with Judgment and Yomikawa. She sighes.

"Well, for your information, I am no longer with Judgment, and while I haven't a clue as to who you are, I don't care; just hand me back my wallet and be on your way." The boy was about to hand Uiharu a wallet when a voice behind Uiharu spoke up.

"Just what are you doing Uiharu?" said a voice, one belonging to Konori Mii. Uiharu smirked, turning to face Konori.

"Just retrieving my wallet from this pick pocket," Uiharu states calmly. "And what is your interest in this Konori?" Konori crosses her arm.

"I was one making sure you hadn't gone to extorting people," Konori states. "But also I desire to talk to you about yesterday's incident at the park." The boy, paling a bit after hearing that Uiharu was connected to the park, handed Uiharu her wallet, and ran for it. Uiharu lifted the heat barrier, allowing him to run.

"What about the park, didn't those idiots from Skill-Out tell you everything?" Uiharu asked. Konori sighed.

"Uiharu, you know that Judgment is going to cover all the bases, and beside, we need to hear your side of the story." Uiharu glared at Konori, annoyed that she was being judged for her actions.

"For your information, those bastards started it," Uiharu began. "They tried to snipe me, but when that failed, they came in and tried to kill me and my class mates." Konori held her hand up.

"Yeah, they already told me that, but I want to know about your 'class mates'," Konori said. "If they are willingly to do that amount of carnage against Skill-Out, then Judgment needs to know to keep an eye out for them."

Uiharu felt her shaking in anger. She didn't like the thought of Judgment following her and her class mates around. Uiharu walked up to Konori, and bored into her face.

"Listen Konori," Uiharu began, seething. "I will not let Judgment follow us around like we are wanted criminals for defending ourselves from the scum of this city, and I will not tolerate you acting like I did something wrong. I didn't burn down the lab, and I sure am not giving Skill-Out a reason to come after me."

"Uiharu, please, I am doing my job," Konori pleads. "I am not trying to be your enemy, but I need to know that way we can just verify your story." Uiharu then turns around, beginning to leave.

"Listen Konori, if you want to know who they are, take it up with Dr. Romanov at Kigatzu Academy," Uiharu said, not seeing Konori tear at her hair in frustration.

"God damn it!" is the last thing Uiharu heard from Konori. Uiharu smiles; she managed to piss off Konori, a feat that seemed unlikely. Uiharu glances at her PDA, to see it is about time she got to the restaurant to meet up with her friends.

She got there, and saw that Aka, Radar, and Kazuki already had a booth. Uiharu walked up to them. Aka smiled at her.

"So what took you so long?" Aka asked. Uiharu laughed.

"Some idiot tried to pick pocket me, and while I was getting my wallet back, I met an old colleague from Judgment. She tried to get me to rat you guys out for the park incident." Kazuki laughed.

"I take it you didn't," he said. Uiharu nodded. "Good, I am glad you are leading us, knowing you won't rat us out." Radar and Aka nod in agreement.

"So," Uiharu begins. "What do you think we should do tomorrow after classes and training?" Radar smiles.

"I say we head to your other dorm, the one that Anti-Skill and Judgment got for you after the first time Skill-Out tried to get you, and we make that our hangout, out of sight from Dr. Romanov."

"Also," Kazuki interjects. "We can turn that place into our little haven, out of sight of both the school and Judgment. We can plan things there, and use it for recreational purposes." Uiharu smiles.

"Alright, then we will need to get stuff for there; I didn't spend too much time there, I planned only to go there on the weekends or so," Uiharu states. "Sadly, it is a single room, so you guys will need to bring sleeping bags or whatever if you intend to sleep there."

The others begin planning on what they need, and after a while, they got a basic list of stuff. It includes computers, sleeping bags, food, pain pills, some games for relaxing, and finally PDAs so they can all get in touch with one another. Uiharu smiles; they were all working together, not following one person, as it was with Misaka. The conversation went over to their past, which Uiharu found interesting to an extent.

Radar, who was a child error, grew up in various labs, getting his ability trained and improved. He never been social with people, due to his lack of a decent name, which off put most people. He ended up going to Kigatzu when the last lab went under due to finical troubles.

Aka meanwhile was from an average family, and came to Academy city when her family started to fight. She lived by herself, using grants at various schools due to her ability being similar to the number four of the city.

Kazuki had the harshest history. He was trained to be a proficient fighter, and his past trainers became more harsh and began to put Kazuki through ever increasing levels of pain and hell, hoping to make him hard and tough. He accepted the offer from Kigatzu almost immediately, hating his last trainer, who did put salt into his wounds.

Uiharu was smiling along when Radar spoke up.

"Say, Uiharu, what's on your mind, you been awfully quiet." Radar asked. Uiharu was flustered, because she didn't feel the need to speak up. She sighed, twirl her glass of water and ice.

"Not really, just annoyed how everyone in my past is currently pissing me off. My old group of friends started to hate me after I lost my cool with them, and now Judgment is trying to keep tabs on me." Radar nodded slowly.

"Fair enough, I guess everyone has those moments from time to time again. But still, you haven't talked much." Uiharu takes a sip, acknowledging Radar. He did have a point; she been reserved, drawn from others. Uiharu yawned quietly.

"True, it just I have nothing to talk about at the moment," Uiharu states. "I don't have judgment cases to talk about, nor do I do anything that I don't do with you guys." Aka chuckles, and the others looked at her.

"What is funny Aka?" Kazuki asks. Aka blushes.

"Uiharu, you need a boyfriend," Aka states. Uiharu stares at her as though she lost her mind.

"What?" Uiharu asks, almost sure she misheard Aka. Aka shakes her head, almost reading Uiharu's thoughts.

"Uiharu, since we are a squad, you are probably be dealing with more stress than the rest of us. Plus, you already have Skill-Out, judgment, and probably a couple of people coming after you. You need a boyfriend, if nothing more than to have some idea of normality." Uiharu pauses, while Radar and Kazuki try and act indifferent to this conversation.

"And why Aka, do you think I am going to want a boyfriend?" Uiharu retorts. "Won't that add needless stress on top of the crap I am going to have to deal with?" Aka sighes.

"C'mon Uiharu, it wouldn't kill you. Plus, if anything, it give you something to talk about instead of being the mute one." Uiharu tried to argue, but Aka made a fair point. Uiharu gives in.

"Fine, I will think about it," Uiharu states. "That said, we ought to head to our dorms, don't want to be late for curfew." The others nod, and get up, unaware they were being observed.

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

Accelerator, Last Order, and Worst are in the living room, with Last order giving a summary from the one of the Sisters about her observation of Uiharu that day.

"Finally, Misaka says, the girl named Aka has convinced Uiharu to get a boyfriend, Misaka states finishing the report." Accelerator wanted to face palm; sighing at how plain Uiharu's life was. Despite her level and Skill-Out, she lived a basic, dull life.

"Is that all brat?" Accelerator asks. Last Order nods. He sighed in frustration; Yomikawa wanted him to keep tabs on Uiharu, and he enlisted the help of the sisters since he would stick out like a sore thumb. Worst looks over at Accelerator.

"What's the matter, is Misaka not to your taste?" Worst mocks. "Did you have some thoughts of Uiharu and you, being together?" Accelerator glares at her.

"What the hell gave you that idea?" he growls. "And no, I hadn't entertained that notion, nor do I intend to." Worst chuckles, while Last Order looks confused.

"Misaka wonders why Accelerator is annoyed, Misaka detecting a change in attitude. Did something in the report bother Accelerator, Misaka asks." Accelerator gets up and heads to the fridge.

"It's just that report was dull, fairly typical I would assume," Accelerator states. He pauses, remembering one detail. "Know anything about Kigatzu Academy, I don't think I recall it." He grabs one of his coffees. If he didn't have them, he was certain he would've gone made by now. Surprisingly, Worst replies.

"Misaka has heard of the school from the other sisters," Worst replies. "It apparently just opened, and they only accept Level 3 and up espers." Accelerator slowly gets back into the living room, sitting in the chair opposite of Worst and Last Order.

"Anything else?" He asked. Worst nods.

"From what Misaka heard, the school is going to aid in 'tactical situations', and thus Anti-Skill nor Judgment has jurisdiction over the school or those attending the school." This gets Accelerator's attention.

"Really?" he asks, growing excited. "What kind of tactical situations are we talking about?" Worst shrugs.

"Misaka doesn't know, but given this city, probably wet work or threat control." Worst looks at Accelerator. "Does Misaka get anything for helping?" She eyes Accelerator with hunger. He however doesn't care.

"Not really, it was the sister who was closest to Uiharu that made me think to ask about Kigatzu, or even know about it. So nothing for you." Worst acts like this hurts her.

"Accelerator, why must you hurt Misaka?" she taunts. "Is that how you like it, or are you just a lolicon?" Accelerator sighs, hating this conversation so much. Thankfully, Yomikawa comes in.

"Accelerator, got a minute," Yomikawa calls from the kitchen. He gets up, silently thankful that Yomikawa bailed him out of dealing with Worst, at least for now.

"What is it?" Accelerator asks, while taking a seat. Yomikawa frowns.

"Well, I heard that Uiharu is attending Kigatzu, and sadly, I can't do shit for her," Yomikawa begins. "So whatever you got planned, I would greatly appreciate any information about Uiharu." Accelerator sighs.

"Tsk, I already began, but sadly, it will be extremely dull," he states. "I just got done listening to one of the Sister's report on Uiharu, and it was fairly average." Yomikawa groans in frustration.

"Alright, I just want to keep Uiharu safe, you know?" Accelerator smirks.

"Actually, I don't see why you feel the need to keep Uiharu safe," he asks. "She is pretty powerful, given what I heard and the news about the park incident." Yomikawa takes some sake out and pours a glass. She takes a drink, and pours another glass.

"Well, it is just that Uiharu doesn't have anyone else, her family doesn't live anywhere near here, nor does she want them to, and she lost her group of friends. So that school is all she has now, which has me concerned."

Accelerator nods, knowing what had Yomikawa concerned. Kigatzu could easily be a place for Uiharu to be molded into a tool for whoever is running the school. He did know that she was being trained by a Dr. Romanov. He brings this up to Yomikawa. She looks startled.

"Wait, she is being trained by Dr. Romanov?" she asks, setting her glass down. Accelerator nods.

"Yeah, other than I know he is as tough as the Kiharas, I don't know much about him, why does he bother you?" Yomikawa pauses, choosing her words.

"Dr. Romanov is brutal. It is reported that while in Moscow, he trained several students who committed suicide due to the brutality of his training. Thankfully, he is limited because he is in Academy City, but that won't stop him from being willingly to go to extremes to get results."

Accelerator nods, understanding that Uiharu was in danger if she doesn't produce results. He sighs.

"Do you have any ideas on how we can keep Uiharu safe, if you don't have jurisdiction over Kigatzu and I can't come in to save her?" Accelerator asks. Yomikawa nods.

"Only thing we can do is to observe her and intervene wherever possible without her noticing." Yomikawa then grabs her glass, finishing off her sake. "I am going to head to bed, today has been rough. Night Accelerator, Worst, Last Order."

Accelerator looks at the time, and seeing it was nearly ten to eleven, he decides to head to bed. He walks over to his bedroom, only to see Worst sitting on his bed.

"What are you doing brat?" Accelerator demands. Worst smiles.

"Seriously Accelerator, can't you sense Misaka wants you?" she states. "So why not…" Accelerator decides to interrupt.

"Worst, do you really think I think like that?" he asks. Worst drops her head a little. He sighs, frustrated at her response. "Fine, you can sleep with me, but you try anything, I will kick you out, got that?" Worst pauses, then nods, with a devilish grin.

"Fair enough, Misaka understands the deal," she said. She gets underneath his blankets, with accelerator getting under the blanket. She wiggles her way into his chest, and begins to snuggle up to him. Accelerator sighs, being slightly uncomfortable with Worst being in his bed. But it wasn't terrible, just different. He closes his eyes, hopefully, nothing will happen while he sleeps.

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

Katzu was in the observation van, getting ready for the raid on Takeru's lab. He sighs.

"Alright everyone, check in," Katzu orders.

"Red squad, we are on standby."

"Blue squad, we have eys on the target, providing over watch."

"Green squad, we are in position, waiting for orders to breech."

Katzu smiles. The first target of his plan, takeru, was confirmed in the building. The lab was a simple three story complex, and Takeru was in the third story. He had trapped himself. He had the squads ready to breech, from the only two entrances into the lab, and blue squad was ordered to provide sniper support.

Katzu also noted the camera feed and the biometric date of every soldier. It would allow him to make rational decisions and adjust his plan accordingly. Katzu is about to order the beginning when his phone vibrates in his pocket. He quickly picks it up, removing his headpiece.

"Hello, who is this?" Katsu asks. He hears a chuckle on the other end of the line.

"This is your, _partner_," responds the voice on the other end of the line. "We are about to enter the city, we will be able to take care of that Kamijou kid. Can you gurantee that Judgment and Anti-Skill won't interfere with our plans?" Katzu smirks.

"Of course Mr. Magnus," respnds Katzu, knowing now that it was Magnus. He claimed to wanting to rid the Kiharas of the Kamijou kid for the price of the girl he lives with. He didn't cares about the girl, she isn't an esper and thus not his concern. "Anti-Skill and Judgment will be too busy with their renewed operations against Skill-Out to be a hinderance."

"And what of our price?" Magnus asks. Katzu looked at the file.

"The girl is of no concern of ours, you could kill her and the Kiharas wouldn't care. You get what you want, we get what we want. Just take the kid out of the equation." He heard Magnus laugh.

"Very well Katzu, me and my associates will take him out," Katzu hears a pause, like Magnus didn't tell him something.

"Is there anything else Mr. Magnus?" Katzu asks, seeing if his thought was accurate. He heard a sigh on the end of the line.

"Yes, one thing. We could be recieivng some unwanted guest, trying to stop us from taking the girl and harming the kid. They won't bother you, but if you could harass them, that would be noted, and we can arrange a deal for taking care of them." Katzu frowns, but agrees.

"Very well, I will dispatch some Hound Dog operatives to take care of your problem. Can you give a description?"

"Yes, there are three people to be concerned about. The first is a male, tall, red hair, with a bar code tattoo under his left eye. The second is a female, blue hair, skinny, and will be wielding a sword." Katzu snickers, a sword wasn't going to be an issue.

"And the last person?" katzu asked, realizing he interrupted.

"We don't know if the third will arrive, but it is likely. Female, albino, red eyes, and she will be very dangerous. She won't be working with the first two, but keep an eye out for her. She is after me directly." Katzu confirms and hangs up.

He sighs. More problems came up. That Kamijou kid was a pain to be sure, but if Magnus and his assoicates were as determine as they sounded, then he didn't doubt there would be results. He put his head piece back on.

"Everything alright sir?" asked the red squad leader. Katzu sighs.

"Everything is alright," Katzu saids. He sits in the chair, and pushes a button. The van rocks as a UAV is launched, and begins surveying the lab. Katzu smirks one last time.

"Alright, all squads commence Operation Firestorm."

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

**Author's notes: This is probably my longest chapter, but it gets the ball rolling for this arc. Katzu's plans are unhatched, and the next chapter will see Operation Firestorm take place. Also, we see Touma deal with Mr. Magnus, any guesses as to why Magnus is after Touma?**

**Also we get some insight into Uiharu's squad, and her mental battle wages once more! Also Accelerator and Worst are getting serious (if that is possible).**

**So my question is simple: Who do you want to see Uiharu pair up with, since I decided she will be getting paired up, all for Romanov's plan. And please give a reason for the pairing, that way I can make it rational. I know some of you want Kakine as her bf, but I need to get a good grip on his personality before I do that. But I digress.**

**As always, please favorite, follow, and review!**


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23: Operation Firestorm

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

Takeru was in his office, reviewing some reports on X1, and to his dismay the reports weren't filled with any good news. First, it turned out the formula given to him by his great grandfather was sabotaged, not including the proper proteins to stabilize the amount of AIM being inserted into pill form. Second, once they solved the protein stabilization issue, the results on volunteers were less than stellar. The volunteers began to complain of headaches and their abilities going awry. Further inspection showed that there was more sabotaged.

Takeru fumed quietly, knowing he was backstabbed; all so Gensei could ensure that he wasn't helping Aki out. He clenched his fist, more pissed than ever. He knew that if he ever saw Gensei or his minions, he wouldn't hold back, not just for playing him for a fool but for his own satisfaction.

He was about to put a file away when he heard a crash downstairs. At first, he thought it was some lousy lab assistant dropping something, but at that moment he heard gunfire and screams.

Takeru grabbed his custom Desert Eagle and three magazines. He had his pistol crafted by a gunsmith in the city. Unlike the standard production models, his Desert Eagle had an improved recoil system, a muzzle brake for reduced muzzle flash, and had a larger magazine capacity of 12 rounds.

Takeru quickly left his office and began to head to the stair well. He continued to hear commotion downstairs. He went down the first flight of stairs, and ended up on the second story. He saw several lab technicians trying to barricade the stair well. Takeru looked at the senior advisor.

"Who the hell is here?" Takeru asked. The senior advisor paled.

"My guess, probably Hound Dog," he said. "But why are they killing us, we aren't doing anything illegal!" Takeru felt his face redden in anger. He would be killing Gensei if he saw him again, family be damned. He saw the technicians visibly scared. Takeru figured they would be lousy in a firefight.

"Alright, listen up!" Takeru yelled. "I need you guys to hole up in the third floor, stay out of the second floor, and don't try anything crazy!" The lab techs nodded, and they began up the stairs, the senior advisor looked to him.

"Listen Takeru," he began. "If you need something more than that pistol, check the lab. We have volatile chemicals in there, so you might be able to make use of them." The senior advisor than dashed up the stairs; leaving Takeru to hold off the fight on the second story.

Takeru began to move quietly through the hallways, trying to make his way to the lab. He heard the commotion downstairs die down, and he could hear the Hound Dog squads coming up the stair wells. Takeru figured he had probably a minute before they got through the barricades.

He entered the lab, rushing over to the cabinets to take stock of what he had. Most of the chemicals did him no good, but only two caught his eye; chlorine and bleach. In the proper mix, it could be used to make a pseudo-pulmonary agent. This would benefit him in stemming the crowds, since Hound Dog didn't wear gas masks.

He quickly grabbed several vials of and beakers, putting the bleach in the beaker and the chlorine in the vials. He put the vials into the beakers, and sorked the top of the beakers off. He needed to keep the two from mixing until he threw them.

He had made about ten when he heard Hound Dog beginning their sweep of the labs. Takeru pulled his pistol out, and readied himself. He peered out of the door, seeing a group of 6 men coming at him. He chuckled, before he heard gunfire from behind him. He ducked, turning to see another group of 6 men.

Cursing his stupidity, Takeru opened fire, firing 6 shots, taking two of the men down. He then retreated as both squads fired on his position. He slammed the door shut, and positioned a table to block the door, and placed three of his beakers to fall once the door was breached. Takeru then went to gather the other tables, to form a fortified position to fire from. He did a quick count in his head, noting he was up against ten men now.

He cursed his luck, hearing Hound Dog at the door, trying to breach the door. He heard them laying something on the door, probably a breaching charge. He had only seconds to come up with a viable plan. He closed his eyes and sunk beneath the table, planning his move.

He sighed, putting on his gas mask, praying it would keep him safe. A moment later, the door exploded, with several men entering. Takeru decided to use his ability, tactics, and his firepower to his advantage.

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

"This is Red Leader, prepare to breach." The Red Squad leader, having all their men, ordered Green squad to cover them should they fail. He looked over to his men, they were stacked on both sides of the door, ready to go.

"On 3, 2, 1, BREACH!" he yelled, detonating the breaching charge. His men rushed into the room, smoke making visability low. He began to pan to the right when he saw Takeru standing there, about to fire. He fired a burst from his Tar-21, downing Takeru. He was about to smile when he felt his lungs burning. He glanced at the door, seeing some liquid smoking. He put it together.

"GAS ATTACK!" he yelled. "Get Gas masks on!" But his order was drowned by his squad mates firing on multiple Takerus. He blinked, realizing Takeru was using his ability. He cursed, and moved to one corner of the room with his XO.

"Damn it, he is giving us false targets!" he said to his XO. "We need to come up with a new plan." His XO nodded, when his head exploded into a red mist. He looked and saw Takeru behind several tables, using them as cover. Takeru quickly down two more of the squad before he could get them to focus on the table barricade.

"Focus fire on the tables!" the red squad leader commanded. "Also, get your damn masks on already!" He saw his remaining two men put their masks on, while he fired at the table with his Tar-21. He cursed his luck, noting that this lab didn't have any windows for blue squad to provide cover fire. He got on the radio to Katsu.

"Sir, Takeru is making mincemeat out of us!" he said, taking cover behind an island in the lab. "I request Blue squad to move from their positions and get in here to help us take down Takeru." He heard Katsu snap a pencil in his hand.

"Damn it, fine, I will get them to assist you," he said. "Anything else?" the Red squad leader decline, knowing that anything else would have him facing Katsu when they got back. He glanced to see his two men firing on Takeru's position, with Takeru coming out of cover to fire a shot or two. The red leader smirked. He had a way to flush him out.

"Take cover, I am throwing a grenade," he said to his men over the radio. They nodded, and he threw his fragmentation grenade. He saw the grenade bounce off the wall and to where exactly Takeru was. He waited for the explosion and to see a torrent of red.

Except that when it exploded, it just produced a bunch of dust and debris, no red mist. The Red leader panicked, debating as to where Takeru was. He looked over to his men.

"Where the hell is he?!" he demanded. He then heard a cold barrel pressed to his skull.

"Right behind you," he heard Takeru said. The red leader turned, only to see the massive Desert Eagle flash, ending his life.

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

Takeru, after killing another Hound Dog bastard, raised his Desert Eagle, and finished off the two remaining bastards in the lab. They slumped over, not expecting him to be so close to them. Takeru looked at his little fort, noting it was just rubble. He sighed, debating his next course of action.

He grabbed the Hound Dog's Tar-21 and a few magazines, along with two of the fragmentation grenades they had. He heard the remaining Hound Dog soldiers in the hall way. From what he overheard from the squad leader, more were on the way. He sighed; if he was going to live,he needed to finish off the rest of the men on this floor.

He faked his own image, giving Hound Dog a target to fire upon. This had bought him time to prime and then throw on the grenades. He heard the explosion and two more screams. This left two men left.

He ran out of the lab, and fired his Desert Eagle three times, taking down another man. But the final guy was waiting for him, and fired a burst at Takeru. Most of the bullets missed, but two managed to land and hit his right elbow and upper arm. Takeru fell to the ground, the pain in his arm unreal.

He held his pistol with his left hand and fired off the rest of the magazine at the guy, only able to hit him twice, but that was sufficient, as both of those shots had managed to be lung shots. The guy collapsed dead. Takeru then paid attention to his right arm.

From what he knew, he couldn't rely on it anymore, it being pretty much dead weight. He grabbed his shirt and ripped it off, tearing it into strips so he could stem the bleeding. Soon, his arm was bandaged, sort of. Blood was dripping through, but it would do for now.

Takeru got up, and gripped his Desert Eagle, debating if he should take the Tar-21 instead. But figuring that his Desert Eagle was wieldier than a TAR-21 in his left hand, he dropped his Tar-21, and clumsily reloaded his pistol.

He braced himself near the top of a stairwell, preparing for the last remaining Hound Dog squad.

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

Katsu sat in his van, fuming. He saw both Red and Green squad were dead, leaving only Blue squad to handle Takeru. He didn't like these odds, but he did have at least a failsafe, something he didn't mentioned. He had a UAV outfitted with a thermobaric warhead that, should the blue squad fail to kill Takeru, would launch itself into the building, taking it out.

He began to watch the feed from the Blue Squad leader's helmet cam.

"Blue squad proceeding up the stair well," he heard the Blue Leader state. They barely got up 5 steps when Katsu heard gunfire and saw the vitals for the blue leader flat line. The others began to fire up at Takeru, who was using the stairwell to full advantage. Katsu felt himself shaking, so wanting to screw the remaining men to kill Takeru with his UAV.

But the UAV would take 3 minutes to get into an optimal flight path and deliver its explosive payload. He began to order the UAV into position, noting that slowly, another blue squad member would die, until only two remained. Those two wisely decided to back off from the stair well.

He saw them back off into the hallway, each taking to hugging a different wall that looked into the stairwell. Katsu felt his finger tapping, eager to give the UAV the order to level the building. He heard one of the men on the radio.

"This is Blue 3, requesting orders to retreat and come up with a better plan sir." Katsu frowned.

"This is Katsu, you will either Kill Takeru, or I will slam a bloody fucking thermobaric strapped UAV into the building and kill everyone in it," Tired of waiting, Katsu punched in the command. "You now have two minutes to kill Takeru before the UAV reaches the point of no return. Good luck." He heard the men curse his name, before both decided to rush at Takeru. Katsu sighed; at least Takeru would take their lives quickly.

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

Takeru began to come down the stair well when the two remaining Hound Dog soldiers that had ran off began to charge him. Not really caring at this point, he raised his desert Eagle and shot both of them through the head. Their now headless corpse fell to the ground. Takeru sighed.

"Fucking trash, trying to kill me," he muttered, heading down to the first floor. He saw one of the radios on the men, and he picked it up.

"Hello there Douche bag command," Takeru taunted. "Got any more men for me to kill?" He heard a familiar sigh come in.

"Nice hearing your voice again, Takeru," spoke Katsu. "So, enjoyed yourself?" Takeru felt a blood vessel throb in frustration. Had Gensei really sent Katsu to silence him?

"You mother fuckers, you thought you send Hound Dog to kill me?!" yelled Takeru into the radio. He heard Katsu laugh.

"Actually, yes I did. Sadly, I overestimated their capabilities. But luckily, you now only have 30 seconds to live." Takeru then heard the radio click off. He began to debate what Katsu meant, but knowing Katsu, it wasn't good.

Takeru, forgetting those upstairs, ran as fast as he could to the door. He had only ten feet left when he heard a crash upstairs. Instantly, he felt a pressure wave rip through the building, and soon a fireball followed. Takeru was thrown to the ground, the air in his lungs forced out from the pressure wave.

The building began to collapse, and Takeru, though out of air, began to frantically crawl his way out. He felt the walls collapse, and he heard the dying screams of his co-workers upstairs. He now only had 3 feet until he was out. But luck wasn't with him. The ceiling above the door collapsed, blocking his escape.

Takeru, upon seeing this, punched the wall in anger.

"Damn you all," he cursed, before the rest of the ceiling above him collapsed around him. Takeru waited for the sheer mass to crush him, to extinguish his life into a dark abyss. He closed his eyes, waiting for the inevitable.

But after a minute, Takeru opened his eyes, only to see rubble around him. Surprised that he actually was in a bubble in the rubble, he began to figure out his next course of action. Digging his way out would like result in destabilizing the rubble, and end his life, so the only course was to wait for Judgment and Anti-Skill to come and dig him out.

Takeru clenched his fist, wondering if he was the only one that Katsu, Gensei, and probably even Romanov were after. He ran through a list of people, only knowing of one other; Aki, his cousin. He cursed himself, wondering what the hell was so important to warrant such a brash and desperate action.

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

Kamijou Touma wasn't having a good night. He was awoken when he thought he heard a massive explosion in the city. But since he could see anything, he didn't worry too much. But he accidently forgot about Index sleeping, and she gave him hell for seeing her in her sleepwear. He should've remembered how to respond to this, but sadly he forgot and was given the punishment of having Index dig her dagger like teeth into his skull.

He was rubbing the site of the bite, getting a glass of water to drink, seeing as how he wouldn't be able to sleep. Index glared at him from her bed.

"Touma, what are you doing?" Index questioned. He sighed.

"Getting something to drink," he said, debating if they made a sister-proof cream he could apply to keep her from biting him. He poured some water. "You want anything Index?" Touma asked, almost regretting he did. She smiled.

"Do you have any more of those éclairs?" she asked, her eyes shining with anticipation. Touma stared at her.

"What éclairs?" he asked. He then remembered his received some from Hiregami earlier. He frantically opened the fridge, and opened the Styrofoam package, seeing his gift gone. "YOU ATE ALL TEN OF THEM?!"

Index shrunk back, looking hurt.

"But I was hungry, and you left. I didn't think you would mind," Index said, trying to sound as innocent as possible. "If you had a better stocked pantry, then I might've not needed to have eaten all of those delicious éclairs."

Touma wanted to scold Index, but he couldn't do it. She had been the black hold when it came to food, so he should've said something to her. He sighed.

"Fine, I'll see about shopping tomorrow," he said. Touma looked through the fridge when he heard a knock at the door. Curious, Touma approached the door cautiously.

"Hello, who is it?" he asked. He heard a sigh on the other side.

"Kami-Yan! What in the name of all that is holy are you yelling at this time in the morning?" asked a disgruntled Motoharu. Touma sighed; it was his classmate and next dorm over friend Motoharu. He was listed as an esper, but Touma's interactions with him in the past showed he was a magician, one of the few successful esper/magician hybrid.

"Sorry, I lost my temper is all," Touma said. "Now, is there anything else?" Motoharu chuckled. Despite it being about four in the morning, Motoharu was dressed in his usual day clothes. Perhaps, Touma thought, he didn't change, his clothes being fairly lose and lightweight. But motoharu pulled Touma out of the dorm, nearly closing the dorm room door.

"Touma," Motoharu began. "I have heard from Stiyl and Kanzaki. Apparently, some alchemists are coming to kidnap Index." Touma looked at Motoharu, debating if he was joking. But when it came to the dealing with magic, Motoharu rarely lied. Touma sighed; realizing more misfortune was on the way.

"So what do these alchemist want with Index?" Touma asked. "Do they want the 103,000 grimores?" Motoharu frowned.

"That's the thing, we don't know if that is what they want," motoharu said. "If your remembered Aurelous Izzard, he didn't care about Index's grimores. So unless these alchemists are after something else, we must assume they want her grimores." Touma nodded.

"Alright then, so are Stiyl and Kanzaki coming to Academy City?" Touma asked, making sure he wasn't facing a group of alchemist on his own. Motoharu nodded. "Anything else I should know?"

Motoharu chuckled. He looked at Touma with a shit-eating grin on his face.

"Oh, by the way, on top of having to worry about alchemists trying to hunt you and Index down, today you have to deal with all the usual madness, including your impressive harem!" Motoharu said, retreating back into his dorm. Touma glared at Motoharu's dormroom door.

"I don't have a bloody HAREM!" he yelled. He turned around and went to open the door to his dorm. However, luck wasn't on his side, and instead of pulling the door open, he accidently pushed it, locking it. He searched himself, trying to find his dorm room key, but to his dismay, it wasn't on him. He glared at his door.

"SUCH MISFORTUNE!"

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

A group of four people were approaching the limits of Academy City, well aware that they would stick out like a sore thumb. But they were on a mission, and all depended on it. The tallest person had a grin on his face; for years, he was the student of alchemy, but now, he would cement his authority on all. He looked over to the person to his left.

"Albedo, remember, keep Index alive, we need her to complete the Magnum Opum," the tall man said to a women with white hair, but with a fair tan skin. She smiled.

"Of course Magnus," she said in her light Italian accent. "I will make sure she is safe, don't worry about it." Magnus turned to the two men to his right.

"Nigerdo, Citrinitas, when we enter the city, scout out the city, and return to our safehouse at the end of each night." The two men, both of Persian descent, nodded. They however wore clothing that would allow them to blend in at a distance.

"Of course Magnus, we won't fail you," they said in unison. "But what should we do if our cover is blown, just in case?" Magnus chuckled, the twins made sure nothing got past them.

"Break line of sight, but don't return to the safe house for a week. Leave the city if you must, but return to continue scouting the city up for a snatch and grab." Magnus walked up to the city check point and handed the Anti-Skill officer their papers. Albedo chuckled at how easy it was once they had a person on the inside of the city to get through the security hurdles.

"Seriously, if we could break into this city like this," commented Albedo after they were out of earshot of the Anti-skill officer. "How do they intend to stop any threats?" Magnus glared at Albedo.

"This city, despite its flaws, remains very powerful, and they rely on the abilities of individuals, not organizations, to keep threats like us at bay. Anti-Skill and Judgment are to handel little threats, it's the Level 5 espers that will be our biggest threat, that and the city's alliance with the English Church. So keep your guard up Albedo, and don't slack off." Albedo brushed off Magnus's comment off, as though it was nothing. But Magnus knew she listened.

"Also, we have to be careful of Aureolus's most loyal student," Magnus stated. The others visibly tighten up, a chill running down their spine. "She will be attempting to stop us, too ingrained with the thoughts of Ars Magna to help us with our Magnum Opum, as well as what she perceives as our betrayal to Aureolus."

"How can she expect to enter the city?" Albedo asked with a hint of surging anger in her voice. "This city of science won't allow her to enter, and you warned our contact of her, so he will attempt to take her out for us, right?" Magnus sighed.

"I doubt it, but he will certainly distract her, for how long, I don't know. But anything he does to her buys us time. Also, we have others to throw her off our scent, so we bought ourselves more time."

The others nodded, knowing the demon that Aurelous had created before he fell for Index. They silently prayed that the one true lord would grant them the time to complete their Magnum Opum.

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

Yomikawa was on her way to an lab that was destroyed in the night. She cringed, because when she was on the way, she heard from other Anti-Skill officers that there were reports of gunfire in the area. She didn't want to have an incident have anything to Skill-Out.

She got out of her squad car, only to see something reminiscent of terror bombing on a federal building in Columbia. The building was nothing but rubble, with only the lower most walls standing, a reminded that this was once a building. She saw several body bags laying on the sidewalk. She felt a pang of sadness in her heart.

Yomikawa walked up to Kuroko and Mii, who were coordinating efforts to clear the rubble and search for bodies.

"What happened here?" Yomikawa asked. Kuroko sighed.

"We don't know who is responbile, but we do know it has nothing to do with Skill-Out," Kuroko said in a calm voice. "The reason we know that is because some of the bodies" –Kuroko points to some of the body bags marked with red tape- "were in military grade body armor and carrying advanced military hardware. Also, they had radios for communications, and they were numerous, not the usual gang attack."

Yomikawa nodded. She looked over at Mii.

"What was going on at the lab?" Mii shrugged.

"To our knowledge, nothing illegal. There was a request earlier to have anti-skill raid the place, in suspicions of it being a drug lab, but that request was suddenly revoked moments before calls reporting that the lab was bombed." Yomikawa frowned, thinking that whoever wanted the lab raided wanted to make it look formal, but whatever happened cause them to take a brash and brutish execution of the lab and they removed their request to wipe their hands.

"That said, we have focused on seeing if there are any survivors in the rubble," Mii continued. "But at the moment…" Mii was about to say 'there haven't been any survivors' when a hand shot out of the rubble.

Yomikawa and Kuroko quickly rushed over to the hand, and begin pulling away at the rubble, with Kuroko teleporting the debris she touched away from the rubble. Soon, Kuroko and Yomikawa saw a blonde hair man with a bloody arm and gripping a pistol, looking as though he was hell-bent on revenge. He tried to get up, but his arm gave out and he collapsed. Yomikawa quickly bent over and picked him up.

"You alright?" she asked, though feeling stupid about it. "Never mind, let's get your arm looked at." Yomikawa helped walk the young man to the para-medics. She sat him down , with a para-medic attending to his arm. She looked at the pistol, causing the young man to laugh.

"Afraid I am going to shoot you?" he asked rhetorically. "Don't worry, I have no intentions of going after Anti-Skill or Judgment. Just need to go after the bastards who did this to my lab." Yomikawa chuckled. The young man must've only been 17.

"You run this lab?" she asked incredulous. The young man coughed before he answered.

"Yes I do," he said. He coughed again, with a bit of blood coming up. "But that doesn't matter now. I need to be assumed dead." Yomikawa looked at him puzzeled.

"Why the odd request?" she asked. "Were you the target of this bombing?" He nods silently. "So who is after you, because we can go after them with evidence…" The man glared at Yomikawa, similar to ones given to her by Accelerator.

"Don't bother. You won't be able to ID those pieces of shit with the combat kit, they don't have a paper trail, you won't be able to trace the origins of the gun makers who made them their arms, and even if you could, they are being backed by people who pull the strings of this city from behind the scenes." He paused.

"Besides, it would be easier for you guys to list me dead. You won't have to worry about keeping me safe, and I can go after the bastards who did this," he said. Yomikawa placed her hands of her hips and bent over to stare the young man in the face.

"Listen, I won't mind leaving you listed as dead if you are being targeted, however, I insist on taking you to a safe house, at the very least to keep from others going after your life again." The man sighed begrudgingly.

"Fine," he said in a defeat tone. "You win. Just let's get my arm patched up, then take me where ever you want," He was about to stay silent, when he remembered something.

"By the way, can you get a message to my cousin?" he asked. Yomikawa nodded. "Tell Kihara Aki to watch her back. Great-grandfather is making his move. Trust me she will know what I mean." Kuroko looked at the young man, slightly stunned.

"You," she breathed, "Are Aki's cousin, Kihara Takeru?" Takeru smirked.

"Why, yes I am. And how might you know of my cousin, I have never seen you with her before. The Railgun and that wind esper, sure, but not you." Kuroko wasn't sure to be angry or embarrassed, so she answered curtly.

"I am friends with Aki and Misaka Mikoto, and we both attend classes together," she said. Takeru nods, before he finally lies back on the command of the para-medic. Kuroko and Yomikawa walk away, only for Yomikawa to pull Kuroko to the side.

"Should I be concerned that you and Misaka are related to this by a long stretch?" Yomikawa asked. Kuroko shakes her head. "I will trust your word, but please, don't try and tackle this by yourself, contact me if you find out anything more." Kuroko nods.

"Yomikawa," Kuroko begins. "Are you concerned about Uiharu?" Yomikawa nods.

"Yes, but why do you bring it up?" Yomikawa asked. Kuroko shrugs.

"I thought to ask, as Misaka and the others, including Aki, are concerned about Uiharu," kuroko reasons. "We haven't seen her, and I talked to Mii, and she is beginning to act like someone else." Yomikawa takes it in.

"Fair enough. You keep me up to date about Takeru, and I keep you up to date with Uiharu, how's that?" Yomikawa offers. Kuroko accepts, and they return to their job.

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

Romanov was waiting outside the confenrence room, waiting for Katsu to arrive. He was musing on the outcome of Operation Firestorm. Katsu's actions were loud, brash, and got the attention of Anti-Skill and Judgment. Even with the ban on X1, Kihara Gensei had to have some people clean any mention of their involvement. Also, 18 Hound Dog operatives were dead, and the lab was completely destroyed. Also, since no one could confirm Kihara Takeru's state, they had to assume he was alive.

Romanov was fuming, as he expected Gensei to be as well. Gensei, while patient, didn't tolerate failure due to incompetence. Failure due to the hypothesis being wrong was fine, but failure because of inept soldiers and brash leadership weren't. Romanov sighed when Katsu finally came into view. Romanov only opened the door and the two sat at the table, where Gensei was sitting.

"Katsu, I have reviewed the outcome of Operation Firestorm, and to say it wasn't stellar is an understatement. Takeru may very well be alive, and with Anti-Skill and Judgment looking into the lab, Hound Dog operations against Takeru are off the table," Gensei stated. Katsu remained quiet.

"With that said, new plans have to come up to deal with Takeru, should he be alive," Gensei said. "Dr. Romanov, do you have any suggestions?" Romanov paused, debating in his head. He had a few ideas, but they interfered with his own plans. He sighed in minor defeat.

"Not really, non that are suitable for Uiharu and Alpha squad, or ones that wouldn't interfere with Uiharu's leveling." Gensei nodded, allowing Romanov to continue. "If Uiharu were to go attack him, there is the slight chance that Aki and her friends will intercept Uiharu and wreck our plans."

"I see," Gensei stated. "In that case, we will need to push Uiharu and Alpha squad to being in position to take on these new threats." Gensei pushed a button on the table, which was connected to a phone.

"What is it sir?" asked a voice on the line. Gensei smiled.

"Are there any missions the board of directors requires assistance with?" Gensei asked, much to the bewilderment of Romanov.

"Yes sir, one mission, to take out the leadership of Skill-Out," said the voice on the line. "While the operation was going to be given to Anti-Skill, if you want to take the mission on, you have a green light. Will you want mission details?" Gesnsei smiled, his idea being fruitful.

"Of course, and tell the board of directors that my project will be taking the mission on." The voice acknowledged, and the line went dead. Romanov stared at Gensei.

"What was that all about?" Romanov asked. Gensei got up from the table.

"While Uiharu and Alpha squad are not in position to go after Takeru, they have proven able to take on Skill-Out, thus to progress them and to get them used to death, I am going to have you train Alpha squad to take on the mission. You will have one week to prep them, and then we will see if the time invested was worth it." Gensei got up and left, leaving Romanov to glare at Katsu.

"You see what your idiotic planning did?" Romanov all but yelled at Katsu. "Now Uiharu and Alpha are going ahead to take on Skill-Out, well before I had planned!" Romanov continued to glare at Katsu, with Katsu remaining in a neutral state.

"While on the subject of Uiharu, have you figured out any suitable suitors for her?" Katsu asked. Romanov wanted to bash Katsu's skull in, but he relented, as Katsu had stopped being quiet.

"No," Romanov said. "And even if I did, who to say Uiharu would accept?" Katsu chuckled, actually chuckle despite having been called an idiot and having possibly botched a mission. "What is so funny?"

"Oh nothing, you just are thinking Uiharu is a normal girl," Katsu stated. "But she isn't, she is becoming power hungry. So find someone who complements her, and would actually help with pushing her moral limits."

Romanov stared at Katsu, shocked that he was making sense. Perhaps he sucks with leading people, but he had a knack for finding solutions to odd problems. His suggestion made sense; Uiharu, now power hungry, would only respect someone if they were similar to her. Being selfless and kind hearted would serve to piss her off. Romanov mentally ran through a list of possible espers like the one Katsu suggested, with one that was a huge gamble, but possibly a great payoff.

Romanov grinned to himself, and left the conference room. He went to his office, to see a file regarding the job that the Board wanted done. He glanced over them quickly, and noted the scale of the job. He did some calcualations, and figured he would need at least one more person to assist in the operation. Who he had in mind would be suited for this work; he was sadistic, power hungry, and able to go and affect Uiharu.

Romanov picked the phone up, dialing a little known number. He waited anxiously, as the dial tone came through twice. On the third try, the line clicked on.

"Hello, who is the poor fool who is probably going to die at my hand?" said a cold voice with enough malice in it to scare off most people. But Romanov wasn't going to be deterred.

"Hello, this is Dr. Romanov of Kigatzu Academy, I have a proposition to make for you," Romanov said, only to hear a disgruntled sigh on the line.

"What could you possibly offer me? Wealth does me no good, I don't worry about death, and I sure as shit don't need protection," said the voice on the other end of the line. Romanov smirked.

"I have a week to train some espers in a week to take down the leadership of Skill-Out, but the way I see it, it requires a fifth man. Interested to kill some scum, or have you gone soft?" Romanov heard a chair crash to the ground, knowing his taunt had worked.

"Who the hell do you think I am? Of course, I am interested, who will be helping me, or more likely get in my way, with killing the scum?" Romanov chuckeled.

"Four espers, however, the only one you need to concern yourself with is one Uiharu Kazari," he said. "Level 4 Thermal Regulator. I intend to make her into a Level 5, but I can't afford any delays." He heard a sigh.

"So you want to make this Uiharu a Level 5 then?" the voice asked. Romanov confirmed. "Huh, why does that name sound familiar?" Romanov frowned; how would he know of Uiharu. "Just curious, does the Uiharu work for Judgment, wear a floral headband, have black hair, about one hundred and fifty centimeters, and is generally naïve?"

Romanov blanched; he had perfectly described Uiharu, well before she had her personality shift. He loosened his collar and clears his throat.

"Yes, I suppose you know her?" Romanov asked. The voice on the line laughed.

"How the hell did that Level 1 become Level 4 in such short time?!" the voice demanded. "When I met her, she interfered with what I was doing, and I had attempted to beat the answers out of her before the number one interfered. So even if I did come, she will not take kindly to me, and why would she be willingly to help rid the city of scum like Skill-Out?"

"Uiharu Kazari has undergone a personality shift," Romanov began. "She isn't far off from your personality, but she has some moral barriers, which I want you to destroy. How I don't care, I just need her to be malable. To answer you other question, Skill-Out drugged tortured, and has made now 2 attempts on her life, so Uiharu will be more than able to take out Skill-Out." The voice acknowledged this information.

"Fair enough, but have you any method of removing her memories pertaining to me from before?" the voice asked. "I can't help if she is trying to go after her, because if needed, I will kill her." Romanov sighs.

"We have methods of altering her memory if need be," Romanov clarifies. "So I will do it before the week is up and well before the mission. So do whatever you need to do, but be here by Friday of this week." The voice chuckles.

"As though Skill-Out is worth my time, but I am interested to see this new violent Uiharu," said the voice. "I will be there, but Uiharu better not recognize me." And with that, the line goes dead.

Romanov smiles to himself; that was easier than he expected. He looks out the window, smiling at the ease it was to convince the number two of the city to go along with his plans. But had Romanov know better, he should've been thinking of a hundred ways to prevent a back stab, for Kakine Teitoku always had a plan to get ahead.

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

Kakine slams the phone into the receiver. He smiles, looking into a mirror. He had blonde hair at shoulder length, and he stood tall at one hundred and eighty centimeters. He wore a maroon colored suit and white shirt, which some would see as vulgar. But he was most proud of his ability.

His ability, dark matter, was very useful. He could, and did, penetrate Accelerator's redirection, though that was because his dark matter worked outside the laws of physics. Also, he could regenerate lost limbs, create items to aid him in battle or reconnaissance, and it gave him an unfair advantage against anyone.

But still, it wasn't enough to defeat Accelerator, who nearly killed him. Kakine glared at the memory, having his body ripped apart from the monster that was Accelerator. He only survived due to his ability, otherwise he would've been six feet under normally.

Kakine went over to his computer, and typed in Uiharu's name into a search database. In minutes, he found several articles, including a piece that made him smile; it was on the Skill-Out attempt to kill her in the park. He thought about Romanov's statement about her ability, Thermal Regulator, and he ability to manipulate the heat of objects in either directions made sense of the lava found in the park.

Kakine read a bit more about Uiharu, reading how she was linked to a lab burning incident and to an uprising earlier in the year. Kakine then did some calculations. If Uiharu did have a shift in personality, he could easily sway her to push her morals, but would he?

He had contemplated not aiding Uiharu, but his curiosity was too great to decline. He had once the girl under his foot, and could've ended her life when she was a Level 1. But now she was a Level 4, and capable of so much destruction. So he would 'help' her, but for who?

While Romanov obviously had plans for Uiharu, Kakine's desire for power made him not desire to strengthen Uiharu for Romanov's gain. If anyone was going to benefit from having Uiharu becoming more powerful, it would be Kakine. He tried to determine her final power, but having no data on her ability, because no one with Thermal hands had before gotten to level 4 like she had, he was in the dark.

Kakine strolls to the middle of the room, grinning in excitement. If Uiharu really had change, than his mission with her to kill Skill-Out's leadership was going to be interesting, if not more enjoyable than what he had been up to. He took one last glance at Uiharu's pictures from the paper.

"What will you do?" Kakine asked, a sadistic smile forming on his face.

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

**Author's Note: This is so far the longest chapter by far. I hope it wasn't too lengthy for you guys. That said, I decided to answer some questions and respond to some suggestions made in the reviews;**

**1: Could you bring her family in? (as suggest by a guest): I don't intend to include Uiharu's family, though I might later, depends on where I take the story.**

**2: Will Uiharu and Saten fight each other? (guest): I actually am drawing up an fight idea between the two, though when and how it goes down I am still trying to figure out.**

**3: Can you explain how Aki's family died? (guest): I will, not sure when, probably in the next couple of chapters. **

**4: About X1 (which I have been asked about several times), it is compressed AIM designed to increase an esper's AIM field, and thus increase their ability Level. The more pure (or the more compressed AIM) the greater the mental side effects are, culminating in SPS. But there is a street version that uses chemicals and some AIM to give a smaller boost. But it comes with more physical side effects, but no chance of SPS. **

**As to where it came from, it was made by the Kiharas in a lab to improve Accelerator's training rate. I hope this answers all questions to X1.**

**5: Can you make Chapter XX? (guest): I will continue to write chapters for the story, so don't worry about this work being incomplete. I will continue to write for it. **

**Now back to talking about this chapter and the story in general. This chapter we see Operation Firestorm and its outcome, as well as several new characters, including the alchemist group, Index, and Kakine Teitoku. While Touma and the alchemist have yet to be affected by Uiharu, the ripples will turn into waves as those collaborating to either control or save Uiharu begin to make their moves.**

**But Uiharu won't remain the pawn for long. The next couple of chapters, she will be a force in or herself. But who will gain her trust, and thus her; will it be Uiharu's old friends and Aki, will it be Gensei and his pawns, will it be Kakine who just came into the picture, or will it be a unknown party?**

**As always, please favorite, follow, and review! **


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24: Information is Key

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

Romanov was in medical office, standing over Uiharu who was lying in a bed. It was Thrusday, four hours before Kakine would arrive, and Romanov needed to purge Uiharu of her memories. Alas, he was telling Uiharu a totally different story.

"Uiharu," he began. "In a few moments, you will have a device that monitors your brainwave activity placed on you, and on screen prompts will appear. You are to answer them to the best of your abilities, as these relate to tactical situations. Upon finishing the test, you will be released for the evening."

Uiharu sighed, tired from the physical and ability training from earlier. She rubbed her head.

"How long will this take?" she asked. "I feel a headache coming on, I rather be able to take medications to be rid of it before it gets worse." Romanov noted Uiharu's statement; ever since she first arrived with Romanov, she had been complaining about headaches. He figured it had to do with her personality still taking hold of the situation.

"Not too long," Romanov said. "Probably half an hour at most." Uiharu nodded quietly, as several medical technicians came in a placed the helmet over her head. So, Romanov noted her brainwave functions and her responses to the question. He heard a door open, and knew it was Gensei.

"Hello Gensei," Romanov said, shaking with Gensei's hand. "Thankfully, Uiharu is now busy and is oblivious of your being here." Gesnei smiled at this news.

While many of the scientist in Academy City were non-espers, Kihara Gensei was able to access esper ability using a level Upper. While he could be registered as Multi-Skill, his favorite ability was Mental Out, the ability the number five of Academy City used. It allowed him to control people with his mind, and he was going to purge Uiharu of her memories of Kakine.

"All we need to do is wipe Kakine from Uiharu's memories, is that it?" Gensei asked, confirming Romanov's plan.

"Of course," Romanov stated. "Any more and we could end up interfering with Uiharu, rather than making her our puppet." Gesnsei nodded, and he sat down next to Uiharu's bed, and pulled out a keyboard.

The use of the keyboard was to provide a frame of reference for Mental Out, as the ability was too prone to losing control due to its flexibility. He steadies his mind, pre-planning the functions of each key to correlate to its functions. Finally, after three minutes of pre-fabricating the keyboard to pair with Mental Out, he gives signals Romanov that he is about to begin.

Romanov forces Uiharu's helmet to display a picture of Kakine Teitoku in the HUD. As expected, her brainwave activity increase as she begins to panic, the memories of him were scaring her. Gensei then find the areas that lit up upon seeing Kakine and he begins to neutralize the memories of him and the natural response to fear him.

They repeat this process three more times, each time Uiharu's brainwave activity dying down as the connection to Kakine is removed. Romanov displays the picture of Kakine, and this time ask Uiharu via her headset if she knew who it was. Her brainwave activity remains normal, and she states that she doesn't. Romanov smiles at Gensei.

"Well, this was a success," Romanov states. "Now, she is probably going to wonder who he is, should I tell her?" Gensei pauses, him debating the pros and cons of informing Uiharu.

"Yes, but keep it to a minimum, and keep it strictly buissness. I know of you and Katsu's plans for Uiharu, to breach her Level 5, but I don't want to lose our puppet due to a poorly executed plan, I don't intend to have another fuck up." Romanov watches as Gensei leaves.

Soon, Uiharu finished the evaluation. She removes the helmet piece, brushing her hair to lay flat.

"Sir, how did I perform?" she asked, curious of the results. Romanov, not really caring about the results of the exam as it was a cover for Gensei's work, reviews the evaluation. It turned out that besides for minor mistakes, she was a tactical savant, able to predict and react to changing situations.

"Overall, excellent," Romanov stated. "Now Uiharu, do you have any questions regarding the evaluation?" He sees Uiharu look uncomfortable, debating if she should ask.

"Sir, in the middle of the evaluation, a picture was shown of a blonde guy, who is he?" Uiharu asked a bit hesitantly. Romanov chuckles, not at the question but by the fact that Gensei had ensured Uiharu had no recollection of Kakine.

"He is Kakine Teitoku, the number two Level 5 esper of this city," Romanov states. "He will be assisting Alpha Squad with the raid." Uiharu stares at Romanov, and for a second he fears if Uiharu was going to remember.

"Sir, do you doubt Alpha's ability?" she asked, giving Romanov some space to breathe.

"No Uiharu, it's just the risk of the leaders scattering when you make your move is too high a risk to only leave the operations to only four espers, and anyway, Kakine is perfectly suited to the mission. He has done this sort of work before." Uiharu remains quiet, but she swings out of the bed.

"Very well sir," she said. "When will he be arriving sir?" Romanov smiles.

"Well, in about two hours," he said. "You and Alpha will be given access to the conference room on level two, so that you and the others can meet Kakine and plan out the raid. Make sure your squad is ready to go in two hours."

Uiharu nodded, and left Romanov, who was still checking Uiharu's evaluation papers. Uiharu headed to her dorm, and opened the door to see that Aka, Radar, and Kazuki were already there. They were busy lounging on the beds, talking.

"Hello guys," Uiharu began. "We have about two hours before we have to go to the conference room to discuss the raid. Also, we apparently will be having a person come to assist us in the raid." Aka looked at Uiharu, and noted her anger.

"Who is it?" Aka asked. Uiharu leaned against a wall. She gritted her teeth, annoyed that another Level 5 was going to enter her life. In her experience, they saw themselves above all others, despite what they may say.

"A Level 5 by the name of Kakine Teitoku," Uiharu said. "Know anything about him, other than he is the rank two of this city?" The others shook their heads. Uiharu sighed, rubbing the back of her neck.

"Very well, then in the meantime before the meeting, lets gather as much information on the guy as possible."

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

Kakine arrived at Kigatzu Academy, unimpressed by its outside. He saw many students lounging about, and he knew most were Level 3. But he was assured that Alpha was the best the school had to offer; with Uiharu apparently well on the way to becoming Level 5 and her other squad mates being in position to become Level 4.

Kakine entered the school, and saw Romanov waiting for him. He smirked at the Russian with a limp arm.

"So I suppose you are Dr. Romanov," Kakine said. "I wonder who you pissed off enough to leave you with a limp arm." He saw Romanov scowl at him. But he then forced himself to stop, much to Kakine's amusement.

"It isn't a concern of yours," Romanov said with much distaste. "Your concerns are with Alpha squad and the mission." Kakine chuckled.

"From what I gathered about Uiharu, she is more than able to take on Skill-Out on her own," Kakine said. "But if you think a Level 4 with three Level 3s aren't able to take on Skill-Out, I will assist. Or are you afraid when forced to kill she will hesitate?" Romanov's face remains neutral, but his tone betrayed his fears.

"Uiharu hasn't killed anyone yet, and yet if she is to become a Level 5, she needs to become more open to the idea of using power to gain power, if you get my meaning." Kakine smirked at the response; Romanov's clearly thought that Uiharu would go soft on her first mission.

"If you need me to push her barriers, fine, but only because I am intrigued by what you said. But if this turns out to be a waste of my time, I will leave." Kakine saw Romanov flinch a little; apperantly he had anticipated Kakine's full support. It made Kakine feel empowered when he could easily ruin a man like Romanov ideas.

They walked to the second level, and Romanov stopped before a unremarkable door. There, he handed Kakine a file and stared at him.

"You do anything to interfere with Uiharu's leveling up, I will give Accelerator and Mugino you exact position, and even grant them whatever they need to bury you six feet under," Romanov threatned, his face mere inches from Kakine's. Kakine stares back at Romanov.

"They only got me the last time because Accelerator got properly pissed at me; he nearly listened to that bitch from Anti-Skill. And don't worry, I won't interfere, I just might choose to not continue to support Uiharu that is all." But Kakine silently wanted to know what was so precious about Uiharu. So he walked into the conference room.

Kakine took note of Uiharu, who was sitting next to a blonde hair boy. He then shifted his eyes across the table, and saw a red hair girl next to a tall black hair boy. Kakine sat at the end of the conference table, while Romanov took the other end.

"Uiharu, Kazuki, Aka, Radar," Romanov began, motioning to each person in order to how Kakine noticed them. "The person you see is Kakine Teitoku, a Level 5 that will assist you on your mission against the leadership of Skill-Out. Before we commence the briefing, are there any questions?"

Kakine expected everyone to ask a barrage of question, but surprisingly only Uiharu looked over at Romanov.

"Sir, does Kakine's Dark Matter ability work around my Thermal Regulator, because if he attempts to back stab me or Alpha, I want to know I can burn him to ashes." Kakine felt amused at Uiharu's question; did she really think she could take him, a Level 4 challenging a Level 5? But Romanov frowned.

"Uiharu, Kakine is here to assist, not back stab. So don't get any ideas. Though for hypothetical discussion, it is unknown. His Dark Matter doesn't react to normal laws of physics, and thus whether you could freeze or burn his material in up for debate. So for practical purposes, no, you can't." Uiharu crossed her arms, tapping her fingers in disappointment.

"Now then, let's begin the briefing," Romanov said, pushing a button. The center of the table gave way to a holographic projector, displaying the building and the adjacent ones.

"This building is where Skill-Out will have their meeting," Romanov began. "We suspect the meeting to take place on the top level, with the surrounding buildings being occupied by Skill-Out enforcers."

Kakine observed the members of Alpha. He saw that besides Uiharu, they were nervous, with them looking a bit pale. But Uiharu he saw was full of anger and impatience. She looked like she wanted to settle things with Skill-Out once and for all. Romanov continued the briefing uninterrupted.

"You mission is to eliminate the leadership of Skill-Out. Whether you take out all of the enforcers is up to you, but it is unnessacry. What is important is to take out the leaders all at once. If even one survives, they will go underground and begin planning operations to interfere with the City's day to day being." Kakine notice Aka raise her hand.

"Sir, how exactly are you going to get close, they have all approaches covered, and any move we make will be noticed." Kakine was thinking how easy it be for him; he could produce a mass of black matter and silently kill all the enforcers in a building before proceeding to the central building. But Uiharu had a different idea.

"Aka, I think it be best if you and Radar sit back, and prevent the Skill-Out leaders from escaping. If you can get to the top of the building south of the central building, you can use your meltdown with Radar's ability to keep the enforcers pinned. I will block their escapes by my ability." Romanov looked at Uiharu.

"And how exactly Uiharu do you intend to stop them from escaping?" he asked with much irritation. Apparently, something hadn't gone right once, or so Kakine could tell. But Uiharu brushed off the irritation.

"Simple; Kazuki will crumble the buildings to block all exits for vehicles, while I set fire to the buildings. Once the perimeter is controlled, I will proceed and destroy the leadership one by one, turning them to ash to remove their existence once and for all."

Kakine was surprised by Uiharu's response, as was everyone else. Aka's hands flew up to cover her gaping mouth, Radar and Kazuki stared at Uiharu wide eyed. But Kakine saw Romanov's eyes gleaming, despite his face looking disappointed. Romanov cleared his throat.

"Uiharu, while that option would work, it would attract too much attention; and as it stands, Judgment and Anti-Skill are pissed about not being allowed to take down Skill-Out. However, there is a way.

He clicks a button, and what appears to be a cloak appears on the projector. There are some technical specs on the side, but it is too small for Kakine to make out.

"Working with a research lab in the city, we have acquired state of the art infiltration cloaks, designed to render the wearer invisible upon all methods. Using these suits, you can approach the building from any angle, removing all the threats in one building before advancing onto the central building."

Uiharu sighs, and remains quiet throughout the remainder of the briefing. Kakine sensed her anger bubbling, probably at him being here; despite knowing Romanov purged her memories of him before the meeting, and having her idea shot down by Romanov. Kakine figured she was being past up for being leader of Alpha by Romanov and him.

After a ten more minutes, the briefing is over. Romanov scans the room.

"Now, any other questions before the raid tomorrow?" he asked, and when met with silences, he stands up. "Very well, you are excused to leave now."

Kakine stands up, and begins to head out to leave the school. He was on the stair well when he felt an arm grab his shoulder. He turns around and see Uiharu glaring at him.

"Why the hell are you really here?" Uiharu asked. Kakine smiles at Uiharu's anger.

"Because I was asked nicely," Kakine said sarcastically. "Really, because I have been bored for a while. But I suppose you hate Level 5s for some reason." Uiharu let go of his shoulder, huffing that she didn't intimidate him. She leans on the wall.

"I have dealt with two level fives, the Railgun and Accelerator, and both leave a bad taste in my mouth," Uiharu said. "I was chosen to be Alpha's leader, yet there I was, being side stepped, and it turns out you get to do the majority of the mission. So understand that I am annoyed with how the raid is going down, before it even begins."

Kakine nodded, and saw a bit of himself in Uiharu. Sure she was overstepping her ground, but at least she wanted power, and to be the most powerful in the room. He leans over her, to look down on her.

"I don't care about your feelings about being passed up on," Kakine began. "However, I was brought in to ensure the success of this mission. However, depending on how this goes, I might be sticking around for a while, so give me a reason to respect you." He saw Uiharu look up at him, her eyes fixed with anger on his.

"Simple; because regardless of your ability Kakine, I am certain that I can burn the ever living shit out of you," she said. "So I rather be feared than respected, and thus I want you to fear me." Kakine smirks at Uiharu's answer; it was what he was looking for.

"In my case, fear and respect is the same thing," Kakine clarified. "I hope you are interesting enough to make these missions worthwhile." He stepped back, and Uiharu took that as her cue to leave. She headed back to her dorm, but not before flipping Kakine off. He heads down the stair, chuckling.

"I have to admit, she has nerve," he muttered to himself.

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

In a rundown house, Magnus was sitting at a table, listening to radio reports that came in on the top of the hour for the past week and overlooking a map of the city, trying to determine how best to snatch Index without attracting too much attention.

He crosses out the areas next to the schools, local judgment offices, and high-traffic areas. This removed a lot of the areas that Index and Kamijou Touma would rationally be at. He thought about how to draw out Touma to one of the larger, low traffic areas, and to which he was at a lost. He didn't know enough about Touma to ensure he would fall for a trap, let alone allow Index to come with him.

He was about to destroy the pen in his hand in frustration when Albedo spook up.

"Magnus," she began, while flipping through a document that they had assembled before taking the job offer from Katsu. "Wouldn't it be easier to take Index with dealing with Touma at the same time?" Magnus ponder on this. The Imagine Breaker was able to defeat Aurelous, so any advantage they could take should be taken. He turned to face her.

"What do you suggest?" Magnus probed. "We don't know the kid's motivators, and thus we are at a momentary disadvantage." Albedo chuckled, grating against Magnus's cool demeanor.

"The lad is of the heroic sort," she pointed out. "He goes to help others at his own risk for no reward. Thus we need to create a situation to where he gets called upon to help out, and thus draws him away from Index. Then, while he is away, entering our trap, we take Index and use her for our purposes."

Magnus smiled at this, it was a feasible plan. Now they had to work out the minor details.

"Who would you suggest to take out Touma?" Magnus asked, seeing the hunger in Albedo's eyes. She smiled, her sharp canines showing.

"I would be, of course," she said. "Nigredo and Citirinitas are perfectly suited to taking Index without arousing too much suspscions." Magnus sighed; he knew that Albedo just wanted to test herself against Touma, and she wouldn't stop unless she bested him.

"Very well," he said. "But be careful; he did defeat Aurelous in a fair fight. He can negate anything you command." Albedo laughed it off. She didn't consider Touma that big a threat.

"You give him too much credit," she said. "He will die at my hands, so we can be rewarded by the Kiharas as expected."

She turned her attention to the files, leaving Magnus livid at her recklessness. But he supposed it was fair; she may look only twenty one, but she exceed most people in age. She had been alive to experience the sacking of Rome under the command of Charles the Fifth. Her age and success made her reckless, and she was over confident. But he turned back to planning.

His first course was to figure out who Touma was close to. He picked up the radio.

"Nigredo, I need some information," Magnus commanded. He heard the radio squack.

"Yes Magnus, what is it you need?" asked Nigredo, who sounded winded. This caused Magnus some discomfort.

"First, were you being chased?" Magnus asked. He would regret if they were already caught.

"No Magnus," Nigredo said. "We were forced to relocate our observation point to the roof of a lab for better eyes on Touma's school. It just the equipment we used is heavy sir." Magnus exhaled in relief.

"Very well, back to my original question, do you have any ideas as to who Touma is close to, in particular women? Albedo has run by me a plan to distract Touma from Index, allowing you to go after Index unchallenged, unless the English Church has already sent their agents." He heard Nigredo rubbing his beard quietly.

"There is a fair number of people that are close to him, despite his inability to see this," Nigredo said. "But my brother would be better suited to answering the question. One moment." Magnus heard a quiet exchange between the brothers, with Citirinitas mumbling in annoyance.

"Hello Magnus, about the people you inquired about," began Citirinitas. "You have a couple of his female class mates, his teacher Komoe, the Level 5 esper known as the Railgun, and a few others ones. You need specifics?" Magnus debated, he couldn't go after the Level 5 or the teacher, so that left the class mates.

"Tell me about the potential class mates," Magnus commanded. He quickly took a piece of paper to write down the information.

"Very well, we have Fukiyose Seiri, sixteen years old, long black hair, brown eyes. She is a bit of a health-product freak, and often gets into fights with Touma over him and his friends stupidity." Magnus thought that she was a dead end, so he rubbed his forehead.

"Alright, any others of note?" Magnus asked, hoping there were more options.

"We have Kumokawa Seria, but being an advisor to one of the Board of Directors immediately cancels her out," Citirinitas pointed out. "Then we have a girl who name has yet to be dropped, but she is wearing a British Puritan Cross on her." Magnus is silent for a moment; he felt a shiver of panic gripping him.

"Describe her," Magnus command, trying like hell not to have his voice crack, to keep Albedo from catching on there was a problem.

"Black hair, blue-ish eyes, reserved, friends with Fukiyose Seiri, gets along with Touma fine. Why are you concerned Magnus?" Apparently, despite Magnus's best attempt to remain calm, Citirinitas caught on.

"If she is who I think she is, then we have a major problem," Magnus said, glad that Alebdo was too absorbed in what she was reading. "I need information on her. If she the person I think she is, then we need to remove her from our plans, by any means."

"What could she do to interfere with our plans?" Citirinitas asked. "It's not like she is capable of stopping you or Albedo." Magnus felt his grip on the radio tighten.

"Actually, she can stop, no, destroy Albedo," Magnus said. "But thankfully, if that cross she is wearing is a walking church, it should mask her presence. I just don't want it to risk anything by having her near Albedo." He imagined Citirinitas putting the pieces together.

"Shit, got it. I will investigate the matter. So Magnus, who do you plan on using for Albedo's plan?" Magnus sighed.

"Only Fuiyose Seiri at the moment is a match for the plans. So please, keep me up to date with new information, so we can finalize a plan."

"Very well Magnus, it will be done," Citirinitas stated, ending the conversation. Magnus leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling. He was so close to finish the Magnum Opum that he began when he first met Albedo, that now to see it coming to a close was both comforting and racking his nerve. He couldn't allow anything to ruin his plans, lest he have to admit that all his planning was for naught.

He sighed, glancing over at Albedo, realizing she was asleep. He smiled, knowing of the hardships that had occurred in their lives together.

"Sleep well," he muttered under his breathe. "Our trials are almost over, and soon, you shall be equal to none."

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

Misaka and Aki were walking together, to meet Takeru at his new safe house. Aki had been a wreck since she learned that Takeru was targeted, and was fearful for her life. Thus both Misaka and Kuroko pledged to be near Aki at all times, going so far as to confront the dorm supervisor to allow Aki to share their dorm with her. She relented, but only because she understood the pressure Aki must've been feeling.

"So are you going to be ok meeting him?" Misaka asked. Aki nodded.

"Yeah, I need to know what he faced, and possibly figure out why they were after him." All she heard from him was to watch her back and that Gensei was making his move. She didn't know what all this meant, and thus she needed information.

They walked to an all too familiar dorm complex for Misaka. She cursed under her breath, making Aki confused.

"Something wrong with the place?" Aki asked. Misaka nodded somberly.

"Yeah, a certain idiot lives here. C'mon, let's see you cousin before I run into him," stated Misaka. Aki then lead her to her cousin's dorm. She knocked on the door in a two-one-two pattern, thus informing Takeru it was them. He opened the door, but remained quiet until they got inside and he closed the door.

"Hello Aki," Takeru said, his right arm in a sling. "What brings you to see your unfortunate cousin?"

"Hello Takeru," Aki said. "I wanted to check in on you, is there anything wrong with that?" Takeru chuckled quietly.

"With you, yes. You always are thinking, planning, and thus coming in just to check in on me is not like you." He sat down in his chair, wincing when he slammed his elbow on the chair's arm. "So what is it you need Aki?"

Aki remained quiet for a moment. Misaka leaned on the wall, feeling a bit out of place. She decided to allow Aki to steer the conversation.

"Takeru, why is our great-grandfather trying to kill you, and most likely me?" Aki asked, breaking the silence. Takeru sighed, pulling some papers off his bed.

"I suppose it has to do with Uiharu's leveling up," Takeru said. "While I have been sitting here thumb up my ass, I managed to get the woman from anti-skill, uh…"

"Yomikawa, right?" Misaka interjected. Takeru snapped his finger, confirming the name.

"Yeah, Yomikawa. Anyway, I managed to get her to agree to get me in touch with a researcher in the city she trust by the name of Yoshikawa. We conversed about Uiharu, and what she knew about Uiharu's ability."

Misaka looked over at Takeru in confusion. What did Uiharu have to do with the attempt on his life? Aki must've been thinking the same lines, because she interrupted Takeru.

"What exactly is so special about Uiharu's ability?" Aki asked. Takeru's face fell, and he stared at the floor in confusion, wondering how best to explain Uiharu's ability. After a minute, he looked back at Aki.

"The paper there explains the math and science behind our conclusion, but to be honest, we had help with a couple of enthusiastic electromasters to hack into the secure server of the new Tree-Diagram," Takeru said. "The information were draw thus gave us insight into Uiharu's ability, according to the Tree-Diagram." He paused, clearing his throat.

"You understand the nature of Uiharu's ability, right?" Aki and Misaka nod.

"It is manipulating the heat of objects by adjusting their wavelengths to get the desired effects, right?" He nods.

"That is oversimplifying the nature of her ability. When she becomes Level 5, she will be able to achieve absolute Zero and absolute Hot." Aki paled, which left Misaka in the dark.

"So what?" Misaka asked. "It isn't as though her ability is ground breaking, not like Vector Change, so why is you two pale?" Takeru sighed again, this time in frustration.

"Do you know what happens at absolute zero?" Takeru asked, and Misaka shrugged. "Fine, all atoms in an object cease all movement at zero kelvin, otherwise known as absolute zero. This is bad, as it negates vector change at the atomic level." Misaka felt a pang of panic. But she didn't understand what the problem was.

"So, Accelerator can just redirect the heat or cold waves that Uiharu can create," argued Misaka. "And I can attack her outside any field she can create. So what about her scares you?" Aki looked at Misaka.

"Because my great-grandfather intends to make an Esper Killer," she said quietly. Misaka stares at her, so she continues. "Uiharu's ability to achieve absolute hot is what is troubling." Before Aki could continue, Takeru took over.

"The hottest temperature able to be achieved with our model of physics is something like one point four one times ten to the thirty two kelvin, otherwise known as Planck temperature. But Uiharu's ability deal with modifying the wavelength, and if she were to adjust the wave length to get even hotter, she would be able to form a Kugelblitz."

Misaka stared at Takeru in confusion. First, she wondered how the hell Uiharu would be able to achieve that level of heat without destroying everything, and second…

"What the hell is a Kugelblitz?" Misaka asked. Takeru rubbed his hands.

"In simple terms, it is a black hole created by an excess of energy rather than by mass," Takeru stated. "It is this ability that makes her the perfect Esper Ability. In our model of physics, nothing can escape a black hole, thus she gets the best defense. But on top of that, if she creates a mass of energy just outside her black hole, she can project a gamma ray burst, giving her unprecedented offensive capability. Thus, not even Accelerator would be a match for her."

Misaka was dumbfounded. Not only were Takeru telling her Uiharu would become Level 5, but her ability would dwarf all other abilities. But something didn't make sense; how would Uiharu even control the black hole she created.

"But wouldn't it be a onetime use?" Aki asked. "Because she can't control black holes, can she? If she did make her black hole, wouldn't it destroy the planet?" Takeru shook his head.

"Thankfully, she can control her black holes, at least according to the Tree-Diagram," Takeru said. "The models show Uiharu as being able to gain the ability to close her Kugelblitz, probably in the manner that Kakine can control his Dark Matter. Thus, we need not fear her killing everyone."

Misaka sighed, as did Aki. They both looked at Takeru, who was gathering more papers.

"Yet what does Uiharu have to do with the attempt on you life?" Misaka asked. Takeru chuckled.

"Simple; I am helping Aki stop Uiharu's new personality. The Tree-Diagram concludes that unless Uiharu adopts a more power hungry attitude, she can't become Level 5, so for her, it's all or nothing. And Aki, that is why you must keep your head down, for I doubt that while Uiharu is on her way to becoming a Level 5 that Gensei will risk any intervention. He will try to eliminate any threats to his plan."

"I won't let Uiharu destroy herself because it may be dangerous to me!" Aki yelled. "I will help her return to her old self, before this nightmare began for her!" Misaka nodded.

"Also, Aki isn't alone," Misaka stated. "I will help her, as will several other of my friends. We want to see Uiharu return to normal." Takeru chuckled, leaning back.

"Very well then," he said. "But please, whatever you do, make sure you don't end up being an enemy of her, because she will not hold back, if Romanov is training her like I think he is." He sighed. "Now, if there is nothing else, can you please go, I want to get some sleep, as I bet the next couple of days will be chaotic."

Misaka and Aki, having been enlightened of the seriousness of the situation, left Takeru to his dorm. Misaka and Aki, while walking down the stair well, discussed ways of getting Uiharu to stop this maddnes when Misaka ran into someone. Aki paused, seeing a young man with spiky black hair leaning against the guard rail, rubbing the back of his head.

"Such misfortune," the person muttered. He looked to see Misaka on the stairs, trying to stand back up. "Oh, hi Biri-Biri." Misaka glared at him.

"Idiot, its Misaka Mikoto!" she yelled, dusting herself off. "And what were you doing running up the stairs?" He sighed in frustration.

"Fine Misaka," he said. "But my name isn't idiots either; it's Touma, though I doubt you are here to talk about names." He grabbed a bag, and checked the contents. Aki peered in, seeing a case of decimated eggs and a bunch of noodles. "Such misfortune, well, the reason I was running is now mute."

Misaka laughed, much to Aki's confusion. Why was Misaka laughing at Touma? But she assumed that Misaka knew him much longer than she did.

"But Misaka, why are you doing at my dorm?" Touma asked. "And who's your friend?" Misaka blushed a bit, making Aki wonder what was going on in Misaka's mind. Was she a tsundere?

"This is Kihara Aki," Misaka said, introducing Aki to Touma. Touma put his hand out to shake Aki, and Aki accepted. "And for why I was here, it is none of you concern." Touma nodded.

"Right, none of my concern. Well then, have a good evening, I am going to contemplate how I am going to deal with the black hole in my dorm." He sighed, carrying the bag of his ruined grocery with him. Aki's eyes follow him, wondering what Touma meant. But Misaka picked up on Aki's curiosuity.

"Don't worry about it," Misaka stated. "He is referring to the ever hungry sister that lives with him." Aki nodded.

"Very well then. You think we should head back to our dorms, it is near curfew?" Aki asked. Misaka nodded, and the two headed back to Tokiwadai, now more concerned about Uiharu's future.

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

**Author's note: First off, I am so sorry for the delay in publishing this chapter; I have had writer's block for the past couple of days, I have been playing Dragon age Origins, and I have been debating ideas in my head. But enough of the excuses, now to discuss the story.**

**We (really you guys) now know of Uiharu's level 5 ability. Compared to Accelerator, I think it quite dwarfs it, the ability to create black holes is more impressive than redirecting vector currents. That said, I do intend to limit its power, so it isn't god mode. Also, we see more into the Alchemist's planning and structure, though we will see more in the upcoming chapters, after Uiharu's and Kakine's raid on the Skill-Out leadership meeting.**

**So for the question of the week; what do you think is up with Albedo? I have her quite well planned out actually, so the first person to give me the correct answer with reason gets a digital cookie, once science had made such a possibility possible.**

**That said, as always, please favorite, follow, and review!**


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25: Innocence Lost

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

Uiharu, Radar, Aka, Kazuki, and Kakine were in a van, heading to their drop off point. They were given equipment for the sake of the mission, but for Uiharu, she felt uncomfortable. She sighed, knowing that it was just nerves. She looked forward to the end of Skill-Out, but she knew something would go wrong.

She looked up at Kakine, who was crafting him a custom blade with his dark matter. She could see that he was looking forward to this raid, something she knew the others weren't. The others made it clear that they didn't want to kill if possible, so they agreed to leave Uiharu and Kakine to go after the leaders. They would support Uiharu, so long as they could carry the burden.

She looked at her gear. Besides the infiltration cloak, she had been given a silenced Mp-7, a nine inch blade, and finally radio equipment. It was basic, but Uiharu saw the blade as useless, she could kill any man just by her mere presence, save for Kakine and Accelerator. She saw Kakine staring at her.

"What is it Kakine?" she asked. He smirked at her.

"I just find it fascinating that a Level 1 became a Level 4 in less than a year," he muttered. "And from your past, I am more surprised you are this calm at what you are being asked to do." Uiharu shrugged.

"Skill-Out made my life truly hellish," Uiharu said, brushing a bang of hair. "Thus this is to settle this once and for all. Nothing more. Then it is back to training to become a Level 5." Kakine laughed, which made everyone except Uiharu shuddered.

"Really, is that all you want to do?" he asked. "I think you had much bigger ambitions than that." Uiharu scoffed at him.

"I do, but they don't concern you, so what bother bringing them up?" Kakine smiled at her.

"Oh, because you never know when you need a Level 5 help," he said, baiting Uiharu to snap.

"I don't need a Level 5 to back me up!" she yelled at him. "I will deal with my problems on my own, the only reason you are here is because Romanov insisted you be here." Kakine smirked.

"Very well, but if you change your mind, I will be around," Kakine said. He saw Uiharu sigh, looking away from him. He needed to get Uiharu to be his pawn, but she was refusing to bend. She was headstrong, stubborn, and self-assured in her power, much like he was.

Uiharu turned to the driver.

"How much longer until we are there?" she asked in a bored voice. The driver turned to look at a digital read out.

"About ten more minutes," he muttered quietly. "I suggest you say a few prays if you are like that." Uiharu shook her head.

"Only thing that is going to save me is myself," she muttered under her breathe. "I won't rely on others to save me." She leaned back, resting her head on the seat, closing her eyes to calm her nerves.

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

Hamazura Shiage was walking down an all too familiar alleyway. He sighed; he knew that someone recently was giving Skill-Out hell, as an old friend of his told him. But Hamazura didn't care, as he was no longer a part of it.

_So why the hell am I walking around here? _It was a fair question, with too many reasons to state. But to start, it began with him failing to get the money he needed to pay off his debt to Mugino, after she bailed him out when he stupidly tried to steal an member of Anti-Skill's car. He remembered the conversation all too well;

_ Mugino was sitting at the booth, with Rikou and Saiai next to her. Mugino looked livid._

_ "What do you mean you don't have my money?" Mugino growled. He tried to calm her down._

_ "Look, I was caught by an ex-Judgment member, and she was rather powerful, Level 3 probably," he started. "I almost got away, but she prevented my escape, and if it wasn't for someone intervening, I probably would've been hospitalized; then you would've had to pay for my medical." Saiai chuckled._

_ "You are super stupid if you think Mugino was going to super pay your medical bills," she said. Mugino nodded, resting her chine on her propped up hands._

_ "My, you are a pain in my ass. Tell me Rikou, what the hell do you see in him?" Mugino scoffed. He was about to come to Rikou's defense when Mugino glared at him._

_ "Shut up," she started. "If you can't get my money back, then I want you to investigate something for me." Hamazura groaned; this meant more sleepless nights and more near-death circumstances._

_ "I want to figure out who the hell Skill-Out is going crazy trying to go after," Mugino stated. "This should be easy, get a name, get some information, and you are done. Shouldn't be too hard to get information from your old friends, right?"_

Well, that was a joke, as he spent a great deal of time running from said friends. Thankfully, for his sake, he still had a few contacts that were willingly to divulge information, on the basis of 'if you manage to convince the number four to go after her, then by all means, take this'. He had very little informations.

He gathered that the person he tried to rob was the target of Skill-Out's aggression. Her name was Uiharu Kazari, and she was a Level 4 esper. Apperantly, Skill-Out thought she burned down a lab, killing some of their members, and since then they listed Uiharu as their main threat. But sadly, this information didn't satisfy Mugino. It was his last conversation with her that led him walking toward a well-known meeting place for Skill-Out members.

He was about to turn the corner when a black van drove past him.

"What the hell," he muttered to himself. He peaked around the corner, and saw the back door of the van open, with five people stepping out, including Uiharu. But his eyes traveled to one person, and he panicked. It was Kakine Teitoku, the same bastard who Mugino was confident that Accelerator ended up killing, and the one who tried to kill Rikou.

He stepped back in his alley way. Fearful of what was about to happen, he called Mugino's cell phone. He heard the line picked up.

"What is it idiot?" asked Mugino, clearly annoyed at the fact he called. He looked at the time and winced; he had interrupted her newly minted hour for meditation, something Rikou convinced her to reduce her anger and stress. But when interrupted, she got more pissed and tended to exert her anger onto her favorite torture doll; him.

"Sorry to interrupt," he said. "But I got some very bad news." He heard Mugino crack her knuckles.

"What, you failed to get information?" she stated. "I do hope you know that I can make life a living hell for you." Hamazura resisted the urge to groan. He looked back at the van, seeing Kakine and Uiharu leading the three others to the meeting place.

"Well, I figure I let you know Kakine Teitoku is still kicking," he said. "And he is working it seems with that Uiharu girl." He heard a glass shatter, and thankfully Mugino decided to scream in anger out of the speaker.

"WHAT?!" she yelled at him after getting most of her anger out. "He is alive, and he is working with that Uiharu brat?!" Hamazura thanked his luck; he managed to find someone who Mugino hated more than him.

"That's correct," he said. "I just saw him and Uiharu, along with three others, get out of a van, heading to the Skill-Out meeting." He heard Mugino pacing. He prayed that this concluded his deal with her; then he could go back to Rikou, watch a movie with her, and have a normal night. But he heard Mugino cackle, and he knew he counted his eggs too early.

"Well then," she began. "I want you to observe the two of them, see what they are up to. Determine if this is a one-shot deal, or if this is something more serious." Before Hamazura could complain, the line went dead. He looked back, thankful that the group was out of sight.

He stepped out of the alley, to see the van still there. He knew that van would have equipment he could use, so he assumed with a bit of caution that there wasn't a passenger along with the driver, and he snuck up on the van. When he got to the passenger side door, he pulled out his Taser.

He opened the door, to see the driver look at him.

"Sorry mate," Hamazura muttered before he stuns the driver. The driver convulsed a few times, then he went limp. Hamazura then began a frantic search of the van, looking for any information. To his surprise and luck, he heard the radio sqwuack.

"Shut up Kakine, just because Romanov asked you along doesn't mean you run the show," he heard Uiharu say over the radio. Hamazura about cried in enjoyment, glad that for once, his job was relatively easy. He took the radio, along with a spare notepad that was in the glove compartment.

He left the driver, slumping him back in his seat, to make it look like he had fallen asleep. Hamazura then left to find a derelict building, and found a spare chair.

"Let's overhear what is happening with Uiharu and Kakine," he muttered once he finally sat down. He seriously hoped that this wouldn't take too long.

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

Uiharu and the others had donned their cloaks, creeping quietly to the first building. She gripped her Mp-7 tightly, unsure if she should use it or her ability. Romanov suggested carrying firearms, despite no training because besides for Aka and Kakine, the other had little to no range. In fact, Radar lacked any ability that he had been given a DSR-1 sniper rifle to support Aka. But still, Uiharu hadn't actually seen the horrors of killing; both she and Aka's ability left little blood behind.

She was glad that Kakine couldn't see her, or at least she hoped he couldn't see her, as she was admittedly a bit pale. But Kakine was trying to usurp her authority.

"Radar and Aka, how about you try to take the entrance to the far right; it will grant you instant access to the stairwell. The rest of us will head through the building quietly." Uiharu hissed at Kakine.

"Shut up Kakine, just because Romanov asked you along doesn't mean you run the show," she said to him. She heard Kakine chuckle.

"What, you want to fail this mission?" he mocked. "Or maybe you want to prolong this confrontation with Skill-Out, for a grand finale?" Uiharu sighed.

"You know, just because I am one level below you doesn't mean I am god damn stupid," she countered. "And no, I want to be rid of Skill-Out, the sooner the better." She heard Radar's voice come in.

"So, are me and Aka to go or not to go?" he asked quietly. Uiharu made a mental note to flip Kakine off later.

"Yes, go. But next time, obey my orders, unless the idiot is in danger, which I doubt sadly." She blushed in frustration; why was Kakine on her nerves like this? She sighed, getting to the door, and opening it quietly.

She entered, and she began to notice her cloak dripping water quiet loudly. It had been raining, so it was to be expected, but now in the eerily quiet building, the dripping could mean they get spotted.

"Damn it guys, we need to remove our cloaks," she said. "In these buildings, the dripping will echo a lot and give us away." She removed her cloak, seeing the irritating Kakine in front of her, along with Kazuki. Uiharu glanced around the room, thankful that no one was nearby. She radioed Radar.

"Radar, how many are in the building?" she asked. Radar chuckled.

"Surprisingly, only about 6, two per floor. Me and Aka will handle the two on the third floor, then head to the roof. You guys got the other two floors handeled?" Uiharu confirmed, and then looked over at Kazuki.

"Kazuki, handel this floor, me and Kakine will head to the second floor to take care of the two there." Kazuki shrugged.

"Mind if I knock them out?" he asked. Kakine glared at him.

"What, afraid to kill scum?" Kakine growled. When kazuki failed to respond, Kakine shook his head. "Get a grip, killing them will be easier and faster for us. Plus, what if they wake up? What if they manage to get a shot off at any of us?"

Kazuki sighed. He wasn't new to fighting for his life, but he usually left his attackers alive. Even in the park, his punches were aimed to keep them from fighting. But he supposed Kakine had a point; he wouldn't live with himself if those close to him got hurt, especially for showing mercy to men like Skill-Out.

"Fine, but I am not going to torture them," Kazuki said, and with that, he head off to take care of the two men. Uiharu and Kakine head up the stairwell to the second floor. Kakine was grinning, looking forward to the fight, while Uiharu felt butterflies in her stomach.

She chalked it up for being the one to instigate the fight, not merely defending herself. She could feel her hand shaking, but she steadied herself; after all, they were only Anti-Skill, no one to pity, no one to feel sorry for.

They reached the second floor, and they made their way to the an open door. Uiharu stopped short, peering in. Inside were two men, standing next to a burning barrel, trying to keep warm.

"Damn shame we have to guard this building," the first one said. The second shrugged.

"Not really; we get to stay out of the fighting if one is to come, and we won't be noticed by the bosses." The first rubbed his hand; his rifle slung on his shoulder.

"True. Say, did you hear what the bosses have in the basement?" the first asked. Uiharu kept listening, though she felt Kakine itching to take care of them. He wanted to deal with them now, but Uiharu wanted more information.

"No, why?" asked the second, taking out a cigarette to smoke. The first laughed.

"I heard they managed to replicate the results of that drug that Kiyama's men had at the lab, before that Uiharu bitch burnt it down."

At the mere mention of the X1 drugs, Uiharu nodded to Kakine, and they entered the room. Before the two Skill-Out members could grab their weapons, Uiharu fired a burst from her Mp-7 into the first man, while Kakine thrust his dark matter blade into the second's skull. Both men went down without having making noise.

Uiharu sighed, glad that killing the man wasn't as terrible as she had imagined. She turned to Kakine, who was smiling at her.

"Well, well, at least you didn't hesistate," he complemented. "I have seen idiots die because they wasted a perfect opportunity and froze up." Uiharu wasn't sure what to think about Kakine's statement; should she be sick that he was so casual about killing, or be glad he understood what is was like to kill.

She simply nodded. She checked the status of the others. Aka and Radar had taken care of the men on the third floor, and were now on the roof, finding an ideal hiding spot for Radar to observe and give supporting fire. Kazuki also dealt with the men on the first floor. Uiharu went to the window, checking the building where the meeting was taking place. She saw two guards on the only door, and she didn't know how many men were in the building.

"Radar, can you tell me how many men are in the building?" Uiharu asked. Radar sighed.

"Sorry, but that building was shielded to keep signals from getting in or out; it was once a research lab you know." Uiharu clenched her fist in annoyance; she didn't want to deal with a firefight if she could avoid it.

"Alright then, anyone have any ideas on how to take the building?" Uiharu asked. Kakine smiled.

"If I may," he began. "If Aka and Radar took care of any snipers on the rooftop, you, Kazuki, and I make a run to the central building, then we head up to take care of the Skill-Out leaders." Uiharu pinched the bridge of her nose; his plan was simple, but was too risky.

"First, Radar, can you even tell me how many snipers there are?" she asked. Radar coughed.

"Well, just based on visual count, about 6, two per building surrounding the central building. Also, we have probably the same number of men as this one in each building," Radar said. "I don't think running in is the best option." Uiharu agreed quietly, but the fact remained, they needed to deal with the leaders, and quickly. She looked at the central building, wanting to go in a see what Skill-Out had in the basement, and she formed a simple plan.

"Alright Radar and Aka, I need you guys to cover us as we breach the building,' Uiharu commanded. "Keep those in the surrounding buildings from reaching us. Kazuki, when we get in and take care of the threats on the first floor, keep anyone from coming in."

Uiharu turned to Kakine, sick to her stomach that of all the people here, she only trust him enough to help her with taking on the rest of the building. She saw his face, full of malice and not a care in the world, and for a moment, she felt a pang of terror. Where it came from, she didn't know, but it disturbed her.

"Kakine, I want you to help me with taking care of the second and third floor. Don't let anyone get past me, especially not the Skill-Out leaders."

Kakine glared at Uiharu, feeling insulted that she thought he wasn't able to take care of the threats before they had a chance to escape. But he knew she was covering her bases. He raised his blade, which he lengthen and put a jagged edge in the middle of the blade.

"Very well," he said. "Let's get a move on shall we?" Uiharu nodded, and they headed to the first floor, meeting up with Kazuki. Kazuki was shaking a little, but Uiharu gripped the handle of the doorknob.

"Alright, on my mark," Uiharu began. "GO!" She twisted the door knob and when she cleared the door frame, she raised the Mp-7, and fired two short burst into the guards in front of the door. They fell to the ground, and Uiharu led the charge to the door. Radar and Aka began attacking the snipers on the various roof tops, giving Uiharu's group enough time to reach the door.

They gathered at the door, with Kakine looking gleeful at the fighting. He formed a grenade looking device in his hand, and threw it into the window. After the crashing of the glass, the 'grenade' exploded, and Uiharu, Kazuki, and Kakine breached.

The room was small, but beside the people killed by the grenade, there were two more men in the room. Kazuki charged into one of them, knocking him down, while Kakine decapitated the other man. Kazuki, being a fighter, threw a punch at the guy's skull, shattering it. He blanched a bit, but Kakine remained calm.

"That must've hurt," muttered Kakine amusingly. Uiharu shrugged his attitude off.

"C'mon, we need to get to the third story," she said, and leaving Kazuki to guard the entrance, she went up the first flight of stairs. She reached the top to see that Skill-Out, despite knowing what she was capable of, set up an ambush.

They had arranged themselves to cover all views of the stairwell. If it weren't for Uiharu's ability to burn the bullets to ashes, it would've work wonders. But as it was, it was only stalling the inevitable. Uiharu, safe behind her heat wave, looked to Kakine.

"You got these guys?" Uiharu asked. "I can't use my gun, and if I push any more, I risk burning the building." Kakine smiled.

"Yeah, I got this," he said. With that, he lept up to get onto even ground with Skill-Out. One of the soldiers turned to him, firing all his bullets at him, but Kakine merely reformed his body, avoiding any injuries.

"You think you can kill ME?!" he roared at the Skill-Out soldiers as he went around, slashing at the various soldiers, dismembering limbs and heads. "I am the number two of this city, and it will take more than mere bullets to KILL ME!"

Uiharu watched in both horror and amazement as Kakine ripped through the Skill-Out ambush. They could hit him, as her would destroy his body, only to reform it behind them, killing them seconds afterwards. She paused, wondering why he was only the number two of the city?

Kakine turned to the last man in the ambush, who was cowering in a corner. The man began to beg for his life.

"Please, let me live!" he began. "I-I-I will do anything to live, just don't kill me!" Kakine chuckled, looking at Uiharu.

"What do you think Uiharu?" he asked. Uiharu looked at the soldier in question, and felt her anger flare up. It was the leader that tried to kill her in her old dorm. She glared at the man, and wondered what she should do.

She turned to smirk at Kakine, her disgust for the man clear to him. He stepped back, allowing Uiharu to use her ability against the poor bastard. She began by freezing the liquid in the guy's eyes, and then set to freeze his brain into a solid brick of ice. He screamed in pain, but after thirty seconds, his head rolled forward, all the blood vessels in his brain having been frozen.

Uiharu, not wanting to see what Kakine thought of her, went up the next flight of stairs, surprised to see there were no more Skill-Out soldiers. She opened the door, with Kakine behind her, to find the five Skill-Out leaders, with their guns drawn.

"Now, you think you can hit me?" Uiharu mocked, enticing the leaders to fire at her. Their bullets weren't any better, and long before they got to Uiharu they had turned to ash like the rest of the bullets fired at her. She grinned at their inability to attack her.

"Now then," she began. "I have confirmed you guys to be the ones responbile for making my life hellish that last few months, and I am glad to inform you, that end TODAY!" She turned to each man, setting him on fire with maintain the temperature of the surrounding objects to prevent burning the building down. The various leaders screamed in pain, but soon, all that remained of the men who made Uiharu suffer was a neat pile of ash.

Uiharu began to walk out of the room, when Kakine grabbed her shoulder. She would've punched him if it was earlier, but for some reason she resisted the natural temptation.

"What is it Kakine?" she asked, her voice without the usual sharp tone she usually used with him. "We need to leave soon." Kakine looked at Uiharu, ridding himself of the dark matter blade he used.

"No need," he said. "I spoke to Radar while you took care of the Skill-Out leaders. Turned out, most of the soldiers here bailed when they were under attack by multiple espers." Uiharu nodded quietly, heading out of the room. "You alright?" Kakine asked.

"Yeah, I'm alright," she said, and it was honest. While she did ended up killing many men this evening, it made her feel relieved that the threat of Skill-Out against her was finally over. She knew they would remain, but they now knew attacking her was suicide.

Kakine watched Uiharu as she left the room, making note of her soft voice. He was rather unnerved by it if he was honest; most of the time, people were shaking from their first kill, or they were rather excited. But Uiharu was calm, almost distant from the fact she had kill several men in a rather gruesome way.

He followed Uiharu to the first floor, where she stopped, looking at the basement.

"I am going to check the basement," Uiharu muttered to both Kakine and Kazuki. "Meet me at the van. I want to see if what I heard earlier was correct." Uiharu made her way down the stairs, coming upon a locked door.

Sighing at the uselessness of most locks in a city full of espers and natural computer savants, Uiharu burnt the lock and forced her way into the basement. She entered the dark room, fumbling for the light switch. When she managed to turn the light on, her heart fell.

Inside, she saw a young girl, maybe ten years old, in rags and locked up in a cage. Uiharu ran over to the girl. Uiharu was about to ask if she was ok when she looked into the girl's eyes. The girls eyes mirrored her own, but they were soft with naivety, like her were before she met Aki, before she was drugged with X1.

Uiharu recoiled, stepping back. She examined the girl, and before her eyes, the girls transformed to her, when she first met Misaka. She closed her eyes, knowing it was just a trick on her eyes.

"Help me," said the girl, but Uiharu could only see herself in the girl. "They-they drugged me, and now I am stuck in here." Uiharu felt her mind screaming to let the girl go, but she couldn't. She glared at the girl.

"Get yourself out," Uiharu said coldly. The girl began to cry. "Don't you cry, I went through the same hell and here I am! You mustn't rely on others!" Uiharu felt her stomach knot as she screamed this, but the girl kept crying.

"Bu-but it hurts," she whimpered. "They drugged me so much that I can't control my ability anymore." She looked into Uiharu's eyes, hoping to ignite some compassion. "Please, just let me out of this cage."

Uiharu had fallen into a dark abyss in her mind, her old personality fighting to get out.

"_Help the girl!" _yelled her light-self. She gripped Uiharu's mind like any moment would be her last._ "Don't let her suffer your fate!"_

"_Suffer my fate?!" _roared Uiharu's dominant personality_. "This was a blessing! I awoke from my illusions, I became powerful, I…" _Her light-self smacked her in her mind.

"_And you killed! You practically tortured a man, and now you are going to leave some young girl to her fate, to starve and die, just because you became a cruel BITCH?!" _Her light-self began to pummel at Uiharu's mind.

"_You can't let her suffer because of your torment!" _her light-self scream, putting as much punch as she could muster into her words._ "Just because you became a puppet for the darkness of this city doesn't mean she should suffer! You want to be forgiven, you want to redeem yourself, and you want to feel ALIVE!" _Uiharu gripped her hand in pain, the regret coming out. She hit the floor, beginning to weep_._

"_You don't understand," _she stated, struggling to come to terms with what she had done_. "I had to end them, to save myself!" _But her light-self remained firm_._

"_But did Misaka, or Kuroko, or anyone you know resort to killing someone for their own safety?! NO THEY DIDN"T! They fought for sure, but they never resorted to killing!" _Her light-self turned to her_._

"_But you had to throw your friends away, discarding them like they were tools. You left Judgment not out of hating being unable to protect people but for your blind drive for power! You left the light, just for your greed, you lust for power!"_

Uiharu felt the walls of her logic falling apart, but she turned to face her light-self_._

"_What does it matter to you?!" _Uiharu yelled_. "What has been done is done; there is no going back! I lost my innocence, and now I can never go back! No amount of forgiveness or remorse can undo what I have done!" _Her light-self glared at her, and she gripped Uiharu's mind by the throat_._

"_You can change, but will you?" _her light-self asked_. "It can end, you can turn yourself in, you can admit your sins, and you can learn from this." _But for Uiharu, those words were like acid, causing pain and turmoil in her mind.

"_I CAN"T! It would be the end of me, I didn't have a problem with Skill-Out, but they tried to kill me. I tried to rationalize with Misaka, Kuroko, Aki, but they wouldn't budge from their position of superiority!" _Her light-self recanted, but Uiharu's mind followed a new line of thought. She began to laugh, forcing her light-self to back away_._

"_What is it now, you black demon?" _her light-self hissed_. "Found broken logic to self-assure yourself, to not feel pain?" _Uiharu kept laughing, turning to face her light-self_._

"_I just realized, the whole problem with my logic was where I sat in it," _Uiharu began_. "I was always on the bottom, but now, here I am , near the top, so close to becoming a Level 5, to being an equal to those who imposed their will on my life."_

"_It matters not if what I did was wrong," _Uiharu continued_. "If it leads to me becoming more powerful, then so be it. After all, this city demands success, regardless of the price. Remember all those we fought against? They were merely pushing the edges of what was possible, and we hindered them! We could've benefitted from their advances, but we only slowed them down." Her light-self glared at her._

"_At what cost?!" _her light-personality yelled_. "At the cost of other's lives, their freedoms?" _Uiharu began to regain consciousness, and began to eye the girl in front of her. She smirked_._

"_I know what needs to be done," _Uiharu said_. "I could easily do it, it wouldn't be hard. If I kill this girl, you will be forced out of my mind, forced to deal with the truth that all this city wants is perfection." Her light-self paled._

"_Don't you dare!" _she yelled, and tried to stop Uiharu. But Uiharu was long gone; she looked at the girl, seeing her old self; weak, drugged; and without will_._

"So long," Uiharu stated coldly. She grabbed her Mp-7, and raised it to the girl. "I promise, this won't hurt." Uiharu pulled the trigger, with a single bullet ripping through the girl's head. The girl collapsed, not having uttered a word or scream.

Uiharu looked at the girl, and then she felt her mind burst into flames. She collapsed, realizing what she had done. She looked at her hands.

"N-no, I-I didn't mean to-" Uiharu stammered, feeling sick to her stomach. She could only stare at the girl's corpse, a pool of blood forming at Uiharu's knees. "No-no-NO!" yelled Uiharu, and she lost all control. At the girl's body, she began to raise the temperature, but it went out of control. Soon, she felt something shattered in her mind, and she looked up, to see something consuming where the girl was. She watched in horror as the room began to be pulled into this single spot, all things bending to it.

She tried to stop what she had created, but it was in vain. Finally, using the last amount of her energy, she forced herself to imagine it was gone. She looked at the spot, seeing things had returned to normal, except for the area where the thing was. Everything around it was gone, including the concrete under the girl's body.

Uiharu looked at what she had done, and collapsed from the emotional, mental, and physical strain she had put on her body. The last thing she remembered before blacking out was someone grabbing her and picking her up, leading out of the room.

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

Kakine had been running back to Uiharu, after she failed to return to the van five minutes after she headed to the basement. He ran down the stairs, wondering why he of all people was concerned. He had killed his share of people, but why did it bother him that Uiharu had done the same?

He went to the open door, and saw Uiharu staring at a body. He was about to ask what had happened when suddenly he felt the room get hot, until it suddenly became something entirely different, and a unusal black area formed where the body was. He looked at it and realized he felt himself getting pulled into it. He realized in horror what he was seeing; Uiharu had somehow created a black hole.

Bu before he could react, it disappeared, and Uiharu collapsed. He quickly ran over to her, amazed at the destruction she had done, and picked her up. She was breathing, but barely. He decided to beat it to the van. He ran as fast as he could, and when he got to the van he slung open the back doors and set Uiharu down on the empty seat. Radar glanced at him.

"What the hell happened?" Radar asked, appalled by Uiharu's condition. Kakine thought about it for a minute, realizing that Uiharu when through a level burst. It was a frequent problem with those on the edge of Leveling up, and it occurred usually under a great deal of stress or anxiety. But unlike a runaway ability, a level burst only occurs when the person is on the cusp of leveling up, not when under duress.

"I don't know," admitted Kakine. "She was staring at the body of a young girl, then she somehow created a black hole." The others stared at him. Aka looked at him, paling at his words.

"Surely you are mistaken," aka said without much confidence. "Uiharu manipulates heat, not gravity." Kakine shook his head at her.

"No, she went through a level burst, and somehow created a black hole," he said, glaring at all of them to quit arguing. "We need to get her to the infirmary, so she can rest." He rapped the back of the driver's seat, and the driver started the van up. Kakine kept staring at Uiharu, wondering what else he wasn't informed of.

\/\/\/

\/\/\/

**Author's notes: Finally, we get to see Uiharu's Level 5 ability in action, even if it was due to her losing her mind. This also concludes the Flames of External Despair Arc. So now, to discuss some things about the story.**

**I received a notice that 'physic roxx' did a review, but since it has yet to show up, I will bring up his question; Wouldn't Accelerator's ability (vector change) prevent Uiharu's black hole from destroying him? To answer shortly; no it wouldn't.**

**The reason is that a black hole doesn't suck, it doesn't pull, and it doesn't use vectors. A black hole is a hole in gravity, and thus it has an infinite amount of gravitational pull. While Accelerator can withstand the effects of someone pulling on him, he can't defy gravity. So if he were to survive a black hole attack, he would need to keep away from the event horizon, the point of no return.**

**But it is worth noting that Accelerator can redirect a gamma ray burst, something Uiharu can artificially create using her ability. That uses vectors, so Accelerator can redirect the gamma ray burst.**

**And for my question of the chapter; would you guys want me to change the rating from T to M, and why? I have been debating doing this, but I want other's opinions, as I don't want to if you guys don't approve of it.**

**As always, please follow, favorite, and review!**


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